Five players to observe Ramadan fast in Barcelona – Benfica clash | OneFootball

Barcelona are set to take on SL Benfica today in what promises to be a riveting encounter between two sides that are more than capable of knocking each other out.

The Catalans are coming into this game on the back of a 1-0 lead and home support. To add to it, coach Hansi Flick has minimal injury problems to deal with, thus giving him an almost fully fit squad.

Two Barcelona players to observe Ramadan

A recent report from MARCA has indicated that at least five players could start tomorrow’s game observing the Ramadan fast, even though not all of them could be in the starting eleven for respective teams.

Among them could be two Barcelona players, Lamine Yamal and Ansu Fati, both of whom are fasting during the holy month of Ramadan.

Lamine Yamal will be observing Ramadan fast vs Benfica (Photo by Gualter Fatia/Getty Images)

While Fati might not play any role in the Benfica game, Yamal is sure to start. As for Benfica, they will have Orkun Kokcu, Kerem Akturkoglu and Zeki Amdouni.

Although the kickoff time is 18:45 local time, the sun doesn’t set until 18:52, meaning players observing the fast will have to break their respective fast while the game is going on.

The report adds that these players will be provided snacks and quick-absorbing fluids on the touchline so that they can break their fast during the game.

During the half-time break, these players will return to the dressing room, where they will be given a larger snack so they can replenish some energy after 11 hours of fasting.

This is not a new phenomenon in football as European leagues often stop play for a minute or two to allow players fasting during Ramadan to break their respective fast on the touchline.

The Barcelona-Benfica game should be no exception, with all eyes on Yamal and whether or not he can break the shackles of the opposition defence even after 11 hours of fasting.