Manchester United stars Zlatan Ibrahimović, Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Paul Pogba have been shortlisted for the 2016/17 UEFA Europa League Player of the Season award.
All three were inspirational in Manchester United winning the competition last term, a triumph that completed the English giants’ set of major UEFA club trophies.
Mkhitaryan and Pogba were on target in the 2-0 victory over Ajax in the Stockholm final, while Ibrahimović had scored five goals, including a round of 16 hat-trick against Saint-Étienne, before sustaining a serious knee injury late in the quarter-final second leg versus Anderlecht.
Mkhitaryan’s strike against Ajax was one of six he managed in United’s successful campaign, despite not making his first European outing of 2016/17 until matchday four. Fellow midfielder Pogba started all 15 of José Mourinho’s side’s UEFA Europa League fixtures.
The award will be presented for the first time during the UEFA Europa League group stage draw in Monaco on 25 August.
The Contenders
Zlatan Ibrahimović (Manchester United, currently unattached)
Appearances: 11
Goals: 5
Assists: 4
Henrikh Mkhitaryan (Manchester United)
Appearances: 11
Goals: 6
Assists: 0
Paul Pogba (Manchester United)
Appearances: 15
Goals: 3
Other Top Ten Nominees
Alexandre Lacazette (Lyon, now Arsenal) – 70 points
Kasper Dolberg (Ajax) – 40 points
Marcus Rashford (Manchester United) – 37 points
Davy Klaasen (Ajax, now Everton), Ander Herrera (Manchester United) – 33
Bertrand Traoré (Ajax, now Lyon) – 28 points
Edin Džeko (Roma) – 23 points
