To fast or not to fast: That is Mo Salah's question

To fast or not to fast: That is Mo Salah's question
'I need you at the top of your game': News that Liverpool's beloved Mohamed Salah may break his fast ahead of Saturday's potentially career-defining game has fans' opinion split.
2 min read
25 May, 2018
Liverpool fans have pinned their hopes on Salah giving his best performance on Saturady [Getty]
The jury is out over whether football wonderkind and proud Muslim Mo Salah will be keeping his Ramadan fast in the run-up to Saturday's Champions League final - widely considered to be the biggest match of the 25-year-old Egyptian's career so far.

Salah - who has been praised for promoting a positive image of Muslims in the UK and further afield - reassured his followers he would be observing Ramadan traditions, not only by stepping up his charity work, but by observing the dawn to dusk fast.

According to Egyptian paper al-Masry al-Youm, sources close to Salah said he plans to keep his fast on the day of the match, but was confident that it would not affect his performance.

Then Liverpool's physiotherapist came out on Friday and told Spanish radio that the star will be eating both Friday and Saturday in preparation for the match.

Read more: Mo Salah: Necessary hero or opium for the masses?

"We were in Marbella and the nutritionist established a work plan," physio Ruben Pons told Spain's Cadena SER Radio, the translation of which was published in the Liverpool Echo.

"Tomorrow and the day of the match he won't, so it's not going to affect him."

Liverpool fans have pinned their hopes on the young player giving his best performance yet at Saturday's match, the first time the English giants have reached the competition's final since 2005.

Fans and followers were quick to take to Twitter to voice varying degrees of concern or anger over the speculation.

"Can you please not fast," some fans begged the Egyptian wunderkind. "I need you at the top of your game."

Others pleaded him to do the opposite.

Fellow Muslims offered messages of admiration and support.


Despite not even supporting Liverpool.


Others however pointed out the well-established exception to fasting granted to those travelling, as Salah is in the Ukrainian capital of Kiev over the weekend.

Some also pointed out that Salah may be able to squeeze in Iftar due to a 51 minute window between sundown in Kiev and kick-off.


As the Twitterstorm subsided, more sensible responses came to the fore.


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