Riyad Mahrez and newly crowned African Player of the Year Mohamed Salah - alongside six others - will battle for the English Premier League Player of the Month at the back of their incredible feats for Leicester City and Liverpool respectively during the busy December.
While Mahrez did little to retain the crown he won in 2016, his performances in the past month has been impressive.
In December, he bagged three goals, two assists and several eye-catching displays as Claude Puel’s men endured a mixed ending to 2017.
The Foxes started off on a laudable note winning three consecutive matches at the start of December, before capsizing to pick just a point in their last four top-flight games of the year.
On the other hand, Salah’s - who took over the mantle as Africa's best from the Algeria wing wizard - stock continued to rise at Anfield. He bagged five goals - including a match-winning double against Mahrez’s Leicester on December 30 - and three assists in seven matches last month.
The 25-year-old was the recipient of the award in November and he is on course to add another feather to his cap after he won Africa’s top individual prize in Accra on Thursday night.
Joining Salah to battle for the monthly award is Liverpool strike partner, Roberto Firmino while Marcos Alonso, Marco Arnautovic, Harry Kane, Jesse Lingard and Nicolas Otamendi complete the eight-man shortlist.
