LONDON: Leicester City manager Brendan Rodgers has been praised for his player management after substituting Wesley Fofana so the player could break his Ramadan fast on Thursday night.
Fofana, 20, is a devout Muslim and is currently fasting for the Holy month, which began just over a week ago.
The Frenchman featured in the Foxes Premier League victory over West Bromwich Albion, and was taken off after an hour to take on fluids and something to eat
Rodgers wanted to protect his center-back, so swapped him for Marc Albrighton in the 60th minute of the match, which kicked off at 8 p.m. local time, during which the sun set.
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While receiving praise for his approach, Rodgers said all the plaudits should be given to the former St. Etienne player for his levels of performance while fasting.
“It's remarkable. If you think of his performance at the weekend in an FA Cup semi-final, where he hasn't eaten all day and then he had first taste of food with 15 minutes to go, and then the same today, with an 8pm kick-off, he's not eaten all day or drank and he can still perform to that level,” Rodgers told local newspaper Leicester Mercury.
“It was just one where I thought if I could get him off then he could get some food into him on the bench, and just protect him a little bit.
“I've worked with lots of players with devotion to their faiths and for a lot of the guys it gives them strength.
“He's finding an incredible strength to play continuously and train during Ramadan. He's a special talent and a big player for us,” he added.
Leicester, who won the Premier League title in 2016, now sit third in the table after a 3-0 win and remain in the driving seat to seal a Champions League place for next season.
