Sussex have announced the additional overseas signing of Gurinder Sandhu for the 2025 season.

Sandhu, who has represented Australia in two ODIs, will join the squad for June and July, and will be available for four games in the County Championship as well as the T20 Vitality Blast if required.

The 31-year-old has not played first class cricket since March 2024 for Queensland against Western Australia but will plug a gap for the county following a change to the availability of Jaydev Unadkat. The India left-armer had signed a two-year deal with Sussex in October, but will now only be available for the final three red ball fixtures in September.

Sandhu has 151 dismissals across 55 first-class matches, and recently turned out for Melbourne Renegades at the end of their Big Bash League campaign. He will join fellow Australians Daniel Hughes and Nathan McAndrew, who will both return to Hove this summer.

"We are delighted that Gurinder has decided to join us for the four County Championship matches in June and July," head coach Paul Farbrace told the club website. "He will add real skill and experience to our bowling attack for those games.

"He is a vastly experienced performer and is very skillful with the ball. The fact that all four games are being played with a Kookaburra ball means he will be very comfortable with that type of ball.

Sandhu added: "I'm incredibly excited to be joining Sussex Cricket Club and can't wait to step out onto the field at Hove.

"I'm looking forward to contributing to the team in both the red and white ball formats and experiencing the rich cricketing traditions Sussex is known for."

Tamil Nadu's stunning collapse
Tamil Nadu came into their game against Jharkhand knowing even a draw would be enough to make the knockouts, but even that is shaping towards being a herculean task after a frenetic opening day in which 20 wickets fell in Jamshedpur. TN handed the advantage to Jharkhand after being bowled out for 106 to conceding a 79-run lead. Their misery was further compounded by a calf injury to Baba Indrajith that has ruled him out of the rest of the fixture. The day began well as the left-arm spinning duo of Sai Kishore and Ajith Ram picked up is wickets between them to skittle Jharkhand for 185, but there was a major collapse in store as TN lost 8 for 40. Late in the day, they managed to pick up one wicket in the second innings as Jharkhand effectively ended on 84 for 1.

West Ham United have had a 25 million ($26m) initial bid rejected for PSV and United States forward Ricardo Pepi, sources have told ESPN.

A source said West Ham could return with another offer.

The Premier League club are in the market for a striker ahead of the January transfer deadline following injuries to Jarrod Bowen, Michail Antonio and Niclas Füllkrug.

Sources have told ESPN that West Ham's offer was a loan with an obligation to make the deal permanent, although PSV turned it down.

Pepi has 18 goals in 25 games in all competitions this season, including scoring what would turn out to be the winner in a 3-2 victory over a rotated Liverpool side in the Champions League on Wednesday.

He also has 13 goals in 33 games for the USMNT, where he has been a regular fixture ahead of the 2026 World Cup.

Figure skaters, their coaches and family members were passengers on an American Airlines jet that collided with an Army helicopter near Ronald Reagan National Airport and crashed into the Potomac River in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday.

U.S. Figure Skating said the skaters were returning from a developmental camp that followed the U.S. Figure Skating Championships over the weekend in Wichita, Kansas.

"U.S. Figure Skating can confirm that several members of our skating community were sadly aboard American Airlines Flight 5342, which collided with a helicopter yesterday evening in Washington, D.C.," U.S. Figure Skating said in a statement. "We are devastated by this unspeakable tragedy and hold the victims' families closely in our hearts."

U.S. Figure Skating did not identify any of the members of its team that were aboard the flight.

The flight carried 60 passengers and four crew members, while an Army official said three soldiers were onboard the helicopter. The airplane collided with the helicopter while attempting to land, prompting a large search-and-rescue operation in the Potomac River.

Washington fire chief John Donnelly said Thursday morning that it is not believed that there are any survivors and that efforts have shifted to a recovery operation. Donnelly said 27 bodies had been recovered from the airplane and one from the helicopter.

Two coaches who were on the flight were identified by the Kremlin as Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov, who won the pairs title at the 1994 world championships and competed twice in the Olympics. The Skating Club of Boston lists them as coaches, and their son, Maxim Naumov, is a competitive figure skater for the U.S.

"There were other of our fellow citizens there. Bad news from Washington today," Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Thursday morning.

Russia's figure skating federation expressed its condolences to those who had lost loved ones in the crash but said it was unable to comment further.

The Federal Aviation Administration said the midair crash occurred before 9 p.m. ET when a regional jet that had departed from Wichita collided with a military helicopter on a training flight while on approach to an airport runway.

There was no immediate word on the cause of the collision, but all takeoffs and landings at the airport were halted as dive teams scoured the site and helicopters from law enforcement agencies across the region flew over the scene in methodical search for bodies. Flights were expected to resume at Reagan at 11 a.m. Thursday.

Images from the river showed boats around the partly submerged wing and what appeared to be the mangled wreckage of the plane's fuselage.

President Donald Trump said he had been "fully briefed on this terrible accident" and, referring to the passengers, added, "may God bless their souls."

The International Skating Union said it was "deeply shocked by the tragic accident."

"We are heartbroken to learn that figure skaters, along with their families, friends, and coaches, are understood to be among those on board," the global governing body said in a statement. "Our thoughts are with everyone affected by this tragedy. Figure skating is more than a sport -- it's a close-knit family -- and we stand together. We remain in close contact with U.S. Figure Skating and offer our full support during this incredibly difficult time."

The crash occurred in some of the most tightly controlled and monitored airspace in the world, just over 3 miles south of the White House and the Capitol.

Investigators will try to piece together the aircrafts' final moments before their collision, including contact with air traffic controllers and the loss of altitude by the passenger jet.

Less than 30 seconds before the crash, an air traffic controller asked the helicopter if it had the arriving plane in sight. The controller made another radio call to the helicopter moments later: "PAT 25 pass behind the CRJ." Seconds after that, the two aircraft collided.

Some 300 first responders were on scene. Inflatable rescue boats were launched into the Potomac River from a point along the George Washington Parkway, just north of the airport, and first responders set up light towers from the shore to illuminate the area near the collision site. At least a half-dozen boats were scanning the water using searchlights.

The last fatal crash involving a U.S. commercial airline occurred in 2009 near Buffalo, New York. Everyone aboard the Bombardier DHC-8 propeller plane was killed, including 45 passengers, two pilots and two flight attendants. Another person on the ground also died, bringing the total death toll to 50.

In 1961, the 18-member U.S. figure skating team died in a plane crash en route to the world championships in Prague.

Wednesday's collision also recalled the crash of an Air Florida flight that plummeted into the Potomac on Jan. 13, 1982, that killed 78 people.

Reuters contributed to this report.

SAN FRANCISCO -- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's second career 50-point game -- and second in the span of four games -- was not a cause for celebration.

That's because it occurred in a rare loss for the Western Conference-leading Oklahoma City Thunder, who fell to the Golden State Warriors 116-109 on Wednesday night despite Gilgeous-Alexander pouring in 52 points.

"It sucks. Me personally, I play to win," Gilgeous-Alexander said. "Winning comes first and foremost, and if I don't win, I am not satisfied. So maybe my 52 points tonight wasn't in the best interest of the team."

Gilgeous-Alexander became the first player in the league with multiple 50-point performances this season; he scored a career-high 54 points in the Thunder's Jan. 22 home win over the Utah Jazz. He joined Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook as the only players in franchise history with multiple 50-point performances in a season.

Gilgeous-Alexander, the NBA's scoring leader at 32.5 points per game, finished 16-of-29 from the floor and 18-of-21 from the line, the most free throw attempts of his career.

"He's cold," Warriors forward Andrew Wiggins said. "He's tough. He can score at all three levels; he gets to the foul line and he doesn't stop. The whole game he's at you. ... We did the best we can."

Gilgeous-Alexander got off to a blistering start at Chase Center as the Thunder (37-9) jumped to a 14-point lead in the first quarter, when he had 21 points on 7-of-8 shooting from the floor. It was a spectacular display of ballhandling, body control and shot-making as Gilgeous-Alexander carved up a Golden State defense that frequently committed a second defender to him.

"Sometimes, even when you're out there, you kind of get caught watching," said Thunder forward Jalen Williams, who scored 26 points on 12-of-26 shooting. "Because he's getting to places on the floor that you shouldn't be able to with how the defense is guarding him. And it's kind of just one of those things that you got to snap out of it a little bit and not get caught watching and be ready to be an outlet for him or cut or still be engaged in the offense."

It was the second time in two weeks that Gilgeous-Alexander has single-handedly outscored the opposing team in the first quarter, which no other player in the league has done more than once this season, according to ESPN Research.

In the first instance, the Thunder cruised to a blowout win over the East-leading Cleveland Cavaliers on Jan. 16. On Wednesday, Oklahoma City players other than Gilgeous-Alexander struggled to find a rhythm in the final few quarters, when the Thunder were held to 75 points on 37.3% shooting as the Warriors rallied.

"There's probably a tendency in those situations where he's just humming [to get caught watching Gilgeous-Alexander]." Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said. "But we also have an identity as a team. We have a bunch of guys that have confidence. We have to be that team regardless of context. Whether he's having an off night, which doesn't happen often, or whether he's having a night like tonight."

With the Thunder struggling to generate offense from others, Daigneault adjusted his rotation in the fourth quarter to cut his superstar's rest short. Gilgeous-Alexander checked back in with the score tied and 9:55 remaining, about three minutes earlier than usual.

"I don't know what to do with Shai," Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. "I asked Mark to just leave him on the bench for a couple of more minutes, and he did not comply. I Iooked down to Mark and said, 'You can't give him like two more minutes. That would be really helpful for us.' And Mark just laughed."

But the Warriors (24-23) pulled away down the stretch. Gilgeous-Alexander's last two buckets came in the final minute when the Warriors were up by three-possession margins.

"I'll watch the game over, see where I could have been better and trying to win the game is most important for me," Gilgeous-Alexander said. "I'm not satisfied. This doesn't feel nearly as good as the other [50-point performance] did because of the L."

ESPN's Ohm Youngmisuk contributed to this report.

The NBA is set to announce the 14 All-Star reserves tonight. And while the game itself has a new format -- All-Stars will be split up into three teams, with Friday night's Rising Stars champion becoming the fourth entry to the three-game mini tournament -- the debate about who should be headed to San Francisco isn't going away.

To settle that debate, let's break down our 24 selections, including new picks for the 10 starters announced last week.

Should Kevin Durant and LeBron James be starters -- or on the team at all? Will perennial stars Devin Booker and Damian Lillard make the cut? And where does Victor Wembanyama land?

To make our choices, we followed the same rubric that the NBA does -- two guards and three frontcourt players for the starters and two guards, three frontcourt players and two wild cards for the reserves. No shoehorning players into positions for which they aren't eligible. Rules are rules, after all. (As a reminder: If you say, "Player X is an All-Star!" you have to say which player they would replace.)

Our star-studded field is filled with snubs and agonizing decisions and is ripe for debate. Let's get to the picks.

My starters

G: Jalen Brunson, New York Knicks
G: Donovan Mitchell, Cleveland Cavaliers
F: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks
F: Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics
F: Karl-Anthony Towns, New York Knicks

My reserves

G: Darius Garland, Cleveland Cavaliers
G: Cade Cunningham, Detroit Pistons
F: Evan Mobley, Cleveland Cavaliers
F: Jaylen Brown, Boston Celtics
F: Pascal Siakam, Indiana Pacers
WC: Damian Lillard, Milwaukee Bucks
WC: Tyler Herro, Miami Heat

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Why the East presents roster battles everywhere

Three East starting spots are locks. Antetokounmpo and Tatum should be consensus choices and both should appear on the vast majority of ballots in ESPN's second MVP straw poll of the season next month. Ditto for Brunson, and the driver of everything Tom Thibodeau's club does. That leaves the second guard and third frontcourt spots. And the debate, not surprisingly, includes three Cavaliers: Garland and Mitchell for the guard spot, and Mobley alongside Towns for the frontcourt spot.

Let's start with guard and the debate between Garland and Mitchell. By stats, Garland has a very strong case. Cleveland has an absurd 125 offensive rating when Garland is on the court this season, and he's having a more efficient season than Mitchell across the board while also generating more assists.

Ultimately, this is about a bit more than numbers. Spend any time around the East-best Cavaliers and you'll see Mitchell is the player everyone takes their cues from. That is why, ultimately, he gets the second backcourt spot alongside Brunson. Garland slots into our first reserve spot.

Towns against Mobley for the final frontcourt spot is also an interesting debate. Towns has had a fantastic season as the other half of New York's offensive engine and taking on massive minutes -- many out of position as the Knicks await the return of the injured center Mitchell Robinson.

Towns sits at 25.1 points and 13.9 rebounds per game with incredibly efficient shooting numbers (54.5% overall and 43.4% from 3). His defense, while improved, remains a weakness.

Mobley, meanwhile, is one of the most impactful defensive players in the league and is taking significant strides offensively this year (increases in points, 3-point attempts and percentage, free throw attempts and percentage) while also having impressive advanced metrics buttressing his case.

In the end, the spot went to Towns because he has to carry a heavier burden for the Knicks than Mobley does for the Cavaliers. That doesn't diminish Mobley's impact one bit, as his ascension this season has not only played a massive role in Cleveland's rise, it gives the franchise hope of a sustained run in the league's upper echelon.

Both are deserving choices. But for now, Mitchell and Garland are the Cavs' offensive focal points, and Mobley has another excellent defensive big next to him in Allen. The Knicks, on the other hand, are almost 11 points per 100 possessions worse with Towns off the court, and their offense craters without him.

The fourth guard spot was also a relatively simple choice, with Cunningham getting the nod. Between Detroit's rise into playoff contention and his putting up massive numbers as the driver of the team's offense (24.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, 9.3 assists on 45/37/81 splits), this is as much recognition of the Pistons as it is Cunningham's achievements, but he has more than earned this spot.

The East frontcourt was filled with difficult decisions. (I don't particularly understand why the NBA uses a format of two guards, three frontcourt players and two wild cards to fill out the reserves. If it was up to me, I would simply say to pick the seven most deserving players who weren't voted in as starters.)

For example, I considered several guards for the final two wild-card spots, and there were no frontcourt players who made it under consideration. This team easily could've had seven or eight guards on it, but instead there had to be a couple of extra frontcourt players who aren't quite as deserving.

Both Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner would have been clear options at different points this season, but oblique injuries have knocked each out of contention. Before the season, both Joel Embiid and Paul George would have been expected to be in the running for a spot on this team, and neither is within a hundred miles of it. Bam Adebayo's numbers have taken a significant dip, leaving him nowhere near consideration for a spot, either. (Jimmy Butler, too, for a multitude of reasons.) Another All-Star last year, Scottie Barnes, also doesn't have a strong case. Josh Hart would get a spot if he was a frontcourt option.

So, with Mobley locked into the first frontcourt reserve spot, and those seven players off the board, it would be great to have the plethora of guards as options. Instead, the choice came down to the following guys: Brown, Siakam and Jarrett Allen (OG Anunoby and Jalen Johnson have had nice seasons but didn't make my cut).

Brown has been part of Boston's confusing malaise in recent weeks (8-6 since Jan. 1). However, he has taken on the challenge every night of guarding the best perimeter offensive threat, and he carries a significant burden alongside Tatum as the two offensive engines of one of the NBA's best teams, so he gets one of the spots basically by default.

That leaves a very interesting choice between Siakam, who has been the most consistent force on the resurgent Pacers this season, and Allen, who has been a key cog in the NBA's most surprising team.

Allen is durable (he has played every game this season) and productive (14 points, 10 boards, 70% shooting) and Cleveland has an argument for getting four players in. Siakam has also played every game this season, scoring over 20 points on 52% shooting with a career-best 41% from deep for an Indiana team that is 9-2 in 2025.

I went back and forth but ultimately settled on Siakam for essentially the same reason I went with Towns over Mobley: default to the player who carries the greater burden on a nightly basis. That has clearly been Siakam.

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Seven players for two spots? Wild-card chaos among reserves

Now we get to the two East wild cards, where several guards -- LaMelo Ball, Tyrese Haliburton, Tyler Herro, Zach LaVine, Damian Lillard, Tyrese Maxey and Trae Young -- all have cases to be considered for final roster spots.

Maxey was the first to be eliminated. Yes, he's averaging a career-high 26.4 points, but as his usage has expanded for the injury-riddled Sixers, his shooting percentages have plummeted. (Even the most die-hard 76ers fans wouldn't argue this team deserves a representative in San Francisco.)

A lot of the all-in-one numbers would argue Haliburton deserves one of these two spots, and he has certainly come on after an extremely rough start, but his overall résumé falls a bit short of his competitors here, making him the next one to go.

Ball has one of the more interesting All-Star candidacies in recent memory. His numbers are eye-popping: He's averaging 29 points and 7.5 assists and has a staggering usage rate of 35.7% (including a league-leading 24 shots per game and 12 3-point attempts per night), the highest of any qualified player this season. But the rebuilding Hornets are nowhere near a playoff berth, and Ball having the ball in his hands so much of the time is, by nature, boosting his stats. A similar narrative follows NBA assists leader Young, who is helming a young Hawks team into a potential playoff spot, but he also falls a bit short of making my final cut.

LaVine's and Herro's numbers, across the board, are virtually identical. Both are averaging 24 points per game, and Herro has slightly higher assist numbers while LaVine has been the more efficient scorer. Chicago's offense is a staggering 12 points per 100 worse when LaVine is on the bench, while Miami's is 10 points worse when Herro sits.

Two weeks ago, I might have chosen LaVine. But given Chicago's fall over that span -- including losses to the Pelicans, Hornets, Trail Blazers, 76ers and shorthanded Hawks, among others -- the nod for one spot goes to Herro, Miami's one consistent perimeter shot creator during the ongoing Butler saga.

That leaves Lillard for the final spot. He isn't quite the dominant backcourt force he once was, but he's still averaging 25 and 7 while shooting close to 40% from 3 on high volume. He and Antetokounmpo are regularly the only reliable scoring threats for Milwaukee.

Western Conference picks

Starters

G: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder
G: Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors
FC: Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets
FC: Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio Spurs
FC: Jaren Jackson Jr., Memphis Grizzlies

Reserves

G: Kyrie Irving, Dallas Mavericks
G: Anthony Edwards, Minnesota Timberwolves
FC: Jalen Williams, Oklahoma City Thunder
FC: Anthony Davis, Los Angeles Lakers
FC: Domantas Sabonis, Sacramento Kings
WC: Kevin Durant, Phoenix Suns
WC: LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers

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A starting lineup shuffle, plus major frontcourt competition

Jokic and Gilgeous-Alexander will go down to the wire in the MVP race and are automatic choices here. Curry is, too, once Luka Doncic was knocked off the ballot because of a calf injury. (Doncic's injury knocked him off the ballot entirely, easing an already complicated decision for the back end of the roster.)

While James and Durant were lined up alongside Jokic in the league's official starting lineup unveiled last week, both Wembanyama and Jackson have better cases than both.

Wembanyama's rocket ship to stardom has been as obvious as it has been expected. But while the numbers are eye-popping -- 24 points, 10 rebounds and a league-leading 3.9 blocks per game with improving scoring efficiency on all three levels -- what truly stands out is that San Antonio is 13.9 points per 100 possessions better when Wembanyama is on the court this season.

Jackson is having a wildly underrated season in Memphis. For a Grizzlies team that has exceeded expectations despite Ja Morant already missing 19 games, Jackson has played in 45 of Memphis' 47 games this season. Jackson has built on his developmental time last year as the fulcrum of the Grizzlies' offense amid many injuries to post a career high in points per game (22.8) while playing almost three minutes fewer per night than he did last year.

With Doncic's injury knocking him out of the picture, Irving and Edwards were easy choices as the reserve guards. Irving has been efficient, durable and available for Dallas, while Edwards has shown massive increases in his 3-point attempt rate and volume en route to posting a career-high 26.3 points per game.

Some might be surprised to see Williams get the first frontcourt reserve spot, but he has had an impressive season in OKC as the team's secondary shot creator and distributor behind Gilgeous-Alexander. Williams is in the league's top 15 in estimated plus-minus, continues to take on significant defensive assignments and is a big part of why this team has continued racking up wins while Chet Holmgren, Isaiah Hartenstein and Alex Caruso have all missed significant time with injuries.

While Davis will not be the Defensive Player of the Year, Lakers coach J.J. Redick has followed through on his preseason pledge to make Davis the focal point of the Lakers offense. The big man has delivered. He has been an impact player at both ends of the court and is producing at a higher rate on increased volume, more than he has during any of his six seasons in Los Angeles.

Sabonis might be considered a questionable pick as the third and final frontcourt selection, but he shouldn't be. Sacramento's offense is a full 10 points worse per 100 possessions with him on the bench, and his numbers across the board -- 21 points, a league-leading 14.6 rebounds, 6.5 assists, 60.9% shooting and 48.1% from 3 -- are eye-popping.

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Why LeBron and KD aren't starting -- and who they narrowly beat out

Now, the fun part: We are 10 players in, and still haven't found spots for Durant or James.

James, in particular, has had a confusing season. He remains an excellent individual offensive player -- he's averaging nearly 24 points per game on over 50% shooting, hitting nearly 40% from 3 and getting 9 assists per game. But the Lakers are a significantly worse defensive team with him on the court: 8.6 points per 100 possessions across the whole season, and even 6 points per 100 possessions over the past several weeks since James took a two-game, mid-December break to recharge.

Durant is having another metronomically efficient season: 27.1 points per game shooting over 50% for a 14th consecutive season. Those numbers have come with his worst plus-minus since his first two seasons in the league as the Suns fight to stay in the play-in mix.

But is there anyone who should overtake either legend? The most notable name missing so far is Durant's teammate, Devin Booker, who obviously is one of the 12 best players in the Western Conference on pure talent. But Booker's first two months were far below his usual standard from an efficiency standpoint, and even after some recent improvements he is still shooting his lowest percentage since his third season in the league.

After consistently pushing Phoenix to elite offenses whenever he was on the court in the past, he hasn't this year. The Suns have an offensive rating of 114.3 when he's on the court, his lowest since 2018-19 when Phoenix finished 19-63.

The most glaring omission from this team is any representation from the second-place Houston Rockets. Amen Thompson would be on this team if the résumés were contained to just this month's play, though center Alperen Sengun has the best argument over the course of the season. Houston's offense is seven points per 100 possessions better with him on the court, but his stats lag a bit behind Sabonis and aren't strong enough to lift him over James or Durant.

James Harden and Norman Powell have both had underrated seasons for the LA Clippers, one of the biggest surprises in the league. Powell, in particular, is having a career year at 31 years old, with LA's offense over 11 points per 100 better with him on the court. And Powell's scoring average has jumped a full 10 points (23.9 from 13.9) year-over-year.

Ultimately, no one could quite make the case to unseat James or Durant for the final two spots. They aren't starting for this team like they are in next month's game(s), but the two future Hall of Famers still very much belong.

Inter Miami CF kicked off the South American portion of its 2025 preseason tour with a penalty shootout win against Universitario after the game ended 0-0 in front of a sold out crowd of 80,000 fans at the Estadio Monumental "U" in Lima, Peru.

Manager Javier Mascherano led the team in just his second game as head coach, starting Lionel Messi and Luis Suárez on the attack to indicate a serious approach to the clash.

The Argentine manager debuted new signing Tadeo Allende, giving his star player a 70-plus-minute run before bringing on Robert Taylor in his place.

The two sides fought hard during regular time, with the Herons recording 11 shots and two on goal while enjoying 60 percent possession, but simply couldn't find the back of the net.

With a scoreless draw at the final whistle, the two sides went to the penalty spot to decide the game.

Getty Images

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Like the preseason match against Club America in Las Vegas, the draw signaled for automatic penalties without extra time.

While Universitario's Jairo Vélez missed his team's third attempt, Inter Miami nailed all four of its first penalty kicks to earn the lead before Yannick Bright stepped up to strike the final try and seal victory over the Peruvian side.

Messi, Suarez, Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets didn't take a penalty after being substituted out before the final whistle, but celebrated the victory with the team afterwards.

Miami now boasts a preseason record of two victories, winning both matches on penalties under new manager Mascherano.

The team will now travel to Panama on to face Sporting San Miguelito at Estadio Rommel Fernández on Feb. 2 before concluding the South and Central American portion of the preseason with a game against Olimpia at Olímpico Metropolitano in Honduras.

Liverpool head coach Arne Slot backed teenager Amara Nallo to bounce back from his disappointing senior debut in which he was shown a red card just four minutes after entering the pitch.

Substitute Nallo was dismissed for a last man challenge on Johan Bakayoko in Liverpool's 3-2 defeat to PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League. Despite the result, Slot's side still topped the league phase table, with nine first-team players having been rested for the trip to Philips Stadion.

Nallo was one of a number of young players to be given an opportunity against the Dutch champions and Slot is confident the 18-year-old will learn plenty of lessons from Wednesday's clash.

"It's cruel, but he'd never played first-team football yet and then to make a debut at Champions League level is probably the hardest way to make a debut," the Liverpool boss said. "I think he misinterpreted the situation and that's immediately a problem at this level or in Premier League.

"It's a big moment for him to learn from and it's cruel. You think 'I'm going to make my debut in the Champions League' and then a few minutes later you go off with a red card. That's always difficult.

"A career isn't always positive, there are also negatives and he has to fight very hard to make sure he plays a second Champions League game. It is not going to be easy, but hopefully he will."

While it was a challenging night for Nallo, 20-year-old James McConnell was among the young players to impress against Peter Bosz's side, and Slot was quick to heap praise on the midfielder after the game.

"At the moment, we have most of our players fit so we will have this discussion tomorrow I think between me and Richard (Hughes) about these players [who could go on loan] but there's definitely one that will not go out on loan: James McConnell.

"I liked him a lot today. Maybe the end result today would be good for him to go and play [elsewhere] but he is a player who hasn't played a lot in the last six or seven months as he was injured for a while. He impressed me a lot today.

"He is competitive in the training sessions we had, he is always very competitive. I'm not surprised [by how he played], but you always wonder how you will react at this level.

"James plays and is competitive. He definitely deserves credit for his performance today."

Asked about the significance of finishing the league phase top of the table, Slot added: "It's definitely a good achievement to end up top of this league. But I said many times it's hard to judge a table after eight games, let alone with the teams playing different opponents. It doesn't tell me much, some have faced easier opponents than others but it's always nice if there's a new format and you end up No. 1.

"But it doesn't give us any assurances for the next round. I see the four teams we can face and especially one of them is definitely one your are hoping not to face if you end up first in a group like this."

Aston Villa manager Unai Emery said he does not want Ollie Watkins to leave the club amid interest from Arsenal, but said if Jhon Durán completes his move to Al Nassr then it is "good news" for the club as it shows they are doing the right things in terms of developing players.

Emery was speaking after Aston Villa secured their spot in the knockout stages of the Champions League following a 4-2 win over Celtic. A hat trick from Morgan Rogers and another from Watkins saw Villa take eighth place in the standings, and therefore avoid a playoff.

However, the evening was dominated by talk of Villa's two strikers.

Sources told ESPN just hours before kick-off that Arsenal had a bid rejected for Watkins, while The Athletic reported at the start of the match that Duran was set for a medical with Saudi Pro League side Al Nassr ahead of a move in the region of 77 million ($80m).

When asked about Arsenal's interest in Watkins, Emery said: "I don't want [him to leave]. We want to keep our sporting objective through the players we have in the squad. Every player can be in the market in case it's good for the player, club and team, but to get this deal, we have to be very demanding as well. Ollie Watkins is our striker."

Watkins impressed against Celtic, scoring what proved to be the winner in the 60th minute but then missed a penalty a minute later, as he lost his footing and ballooned the effort over the bar.

Despite that setback, he was a frequent threat in front of goal and could've had another couple but for a pair of sensational saves from Kasper Schmeichel.

All the while Duran watched on from the bench. Duran was seen in the tunnel post-match seemingly saying goodbye to some staff and players.

When asked post-match about Duran's future, Emery said: "The club is working, we have to be intelligent and competitive. Of course, we are in the eyes of other strong teams and strong leagues and countries like Saudi Arabia.

"It is something I can feel proud of because we are improving and we are having players interested from other clubs and paying good money for us.

"Our objective here is to keep our structure intelligently, and [maintaining our level] for a long time is the most difficult challenge we have. Sometimes to do that, we have to sell players, but as well, trying to change those players with good players as well, trying to develop the players here and improving ours.

"I don't know exactly until everything is done if Jhon Duran is leaving or not. If he leaves, it's good news for us, because they are paying good money, because it's good for him, because as well, we have developed a young player in two years to get this offer.

"It's not only for the club, but it's for the players, and the team -- these circumstances can be positive. I don't know if he's leaving or not."

When asked if Duran had asked to leave, Emery said: "If he's leaving, it's because he wants to. I told you last week I wanted him here. But what does he want? We are all different people."

Emery added: "My opinion about him, he's a fantastic player, fantastic potential. I was close with him, trying to work with him in his development. They have their goals, ambitions and if he's leaving, it's because he wants to go another way in his career."