Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah to break Ramadan fast for Champions League final
During Ramadan all Muslims are expected to fast during daylight hours
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Your support makes all the difference.Mohamed Salah will not fast in the build-up to Liverpool’s Champions League final with Real Madrid on Saturday, according to the club’s physiotherapist.
The Egyptian is a devout Muslim and has been, as all who follow Islam do, abstaining from eating food and drinking any liquid during daylight hours as part of Ramadan, which began on 16 May.
Under Islamic teachings, it is permissible to break your fast “with anything that is adequate need” or if you are travelling during the day – which Salah will be doing.
Live: All the latest build-up and updates from Kiev
It had previously been reported in Egypt that Salah would uphold his fasting during the final, which means he would not be allowed to consume anything, even water, in the hours leading up to kick-off in Kiev.
However, Ruben Pons, Liverpool’s physio, has revealed that the 44-goal sensation will be breaking his fast in preparation for the game on both Friday and Saturday.
“We were in Marbella and the nutritionist established a work plan,” he told Spanish radio station Cadena SER. “Tomorrow and the day of the match he won’t, so it’s not going to affect him.”
Manager Jurgen Klopp was quizzed on his star man's plans but insisted it was a private matter for Salah and Salah alone.
"Religion is private, how I understand it," he said in his pre-match press conference. "Nothing to say about that but all fine you will see him out there. In training he is full of power - you need to be the day before a final."
Salah has not played a game since Ramadan began, with the Reds’ final game of the domestic season – in which he scored his 32nd league goal against Brighton – being played on 13th May.
The 25-year-old’s battle with the Champions League’s top scorer Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the headline sub-contests in Kiev, with the two players on a collision course for this year’s Ballon d’Or, along with Lionel Messi.
However, when Ronaldo was asked to compare himself with Liverpool’s hotshot, he said: ”People want to compare me with other players, I am different to everyone. Salah is different to everyone. So we are different.
“He plays with the left, I play with the right, I’m tall, he’s a little bit shorter. I play with my head, you know – we are completely different. But I have to say he has had a fantastic season, but Saturday, let’s see.”
Live: All the latest build-up and updates from Kiev
Salah’s teammate Dejan Lovren believes there is no contest between the two this season, and that the Egyptian is currently the best player in the world.
“Definitely,” he said when posed with the question. “It is still quite an early stage but if we win that definitely he is one of the contenders. He can be top three. He has the quality, the experience already. He is so calm, a man down to earth and he deserves every credit and definitely we will help him achieve this dream.”
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