If there is one player on Liverpool's team that will need to be firing on all cylinders in order to give them a chance against Real Madrid on Saturday night, it is Mohamed Salah.
The Egyptian has been in scintillating form this season on the way to the Champions League final, but reports are suggesting he may not be 100% come 7.45pm on Saturday, due to the fact that the 25-year-old will be fasting in the run up to the Kiev showpiece.
Salah, who is a practising Muslim, could fast for up to 18 hours on the day of Champions League final according to Egyptian site El-Ahly.com.
Liverpool team mate Sadio Mané is also Muslim, but it is unclear as to whether the Senegal international will be partaking in the fast as well.
Egyptian national team coach Hector Cuper has spoken previously about dealing with his players fasting and has revealed that there will be experts working closely with his players during this summer's World Cup, in order to ensure that they are managing their fasting as well as possible:
The Egyptian Football Association has hired specialists to help me and the players during the fasting month of Ramadan.
We will organize and monitor their eating and sleeping and hope that this will not affect them badly.
It may be a problem to the coaches because the players will stop eating from sunrise until sunset, so it will not be easy during training but that is to do with the religion and I can’t prevent them from observing Ramadan.
We are working on this and seeking to find the best way to overcome fasting fatigue and prevent it from hurting the players.
Liverpool fans will be praying that Salah's fasting won't interfere with their team's chances of securing a sixth Champions League trophy next Saturday, and doubtless many are cursing whoever decided to organise Ramadam smack dab in the middle of Liverpool's most important game in years.
Since it's Ramadan, does that mean that Mane and Salah will be training on empty stomachs during the day? pic.twitter.com/PeZOcltxI5
— Bikofied ?? (@Homa10i) May 16, 2018
What if Salah starts fasting during Ramadan tomorrow? What if he’s shit in the final because he can’t eat or drink ???
— Paul Howkins (@PaulHowkins92) May 16, 2018
Serious question:
Anyone knows how #Ramadan fasting will affect our Muslim players like Salah and Mane for the UCL Final? #LFC #Liverpool— Liverpoolzy (@luzhenyuan) May 15, 2018
Joe Mitchell thinks that Ramadan might help the Liverpool forward:
Means he'll be hungry for goals
— Joe Mitchell?? (@LFC_Joe26) May 22, 2018
Twitter user Grizz has explained that both Salah and Mané may not fast on Saturday, owing to the fact they could be made exempt because they are 'travelers':
For those of you asking how #Ramadan may affect Salah & Mane for the CL final,the orthodox opinion is that Muslims are exempt from Fasting if travelling (one of many exemptions) and these missed fasts can be made up at a later date so all systems go ????#LFC #Ramadan
— Grizz (@GrizzKhan) May 17, 2018
