Match officials across the leagues have been asked to allow players to break their fast during evening matches over the holy period of Ramadan, Sky Sports News can exclusively reveal.
Many of the country’s best footballers including Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah, Manchester City’s Riyad Mahrez and Chelsea’s Ngolo Kante, are expected to fast this month and will abstain from eating or drinking during daylight hours during an important period of self-reflection for Muslims.
They will need to break their fast once the sun has set – and this will affect a number of players taking part in evening matches across the divisions over the next month.
Match officials have now been issued with guidance from refereeing bodies to allow for a natural pause in play and enable players to break their fast by taking on liquids or energy gels or supplements.
They have also been encouraged ahead of the kick-off to try and identify any players who may need to break their fast during the game, and where possible to agree a rough time for this to happen.
