Ronaldo, Sadio Mane excluded from the eight-man player of the season shortlist

• The Premier League has disclosed it’s eight-player shortlist for the annual award, and it appears  Christiano Ronaldo and Sadio Mane are omitted
• Manchester City and Liverpool have two nominations; the shortlist included Kevin de Bruyne, Mohamed Salah, and Trent Alexander-Arnold
• Son Heung-min hopes to become the first Tottenham player to win the yearly award since Gareth Bale in 2013

Sadio Mane and Cristiano Ronaldo are notable omissions from the Premier League’s Player of the Season shortlist. Mohamed Salah, Kevin De Bruyne, and Trent Alexander-Arnold are all on it.

The prize has also been nominated for Bukayo Saka, James Ward-Prowse, Joao Cancelo, Son Heung-min, and Jarrod Bowen.

Despite Sadio Mane’s incredible perfomance this season, the Liverpool star is excluded on the player of the season short list. Photo: Getty Images

Fans can vote for their favourite until 6 p.m. BST on Monday. These will be combined with those of the 20 club captains and a panel of football experts to determine the winner.

Despite fantastic seasons for Liverpool and Manchester United, respectively, Mane and Ronaldo are not in contention for the award.

The Liverpool forward has 15 goals in 33 league appearances as the club seeks an unprecedented quadruple.

Ronaldo has been a shining star in United’s disappointing season, scoring 18 goals in 30 league games and being named Premier League player of the month twice.

De Bruyne and Salah will vie for the award for a second time. The Manchester City midfielder won the award two years ago, while the Liverpool forward won it in 2018.

The fearsome Belgian has been a key member of Pep Guardiola’s side as they seek a fourth Premier League title.

This season, De Bruyne has 15 goals and seven assists for City, including four in Wednesday’s 5-1 thrashing of Wolves.

He hopes to become only the fourth player in history to win the award more than once, joining Ronaldo, Nemanja Vidic, and Thierry Henry.

Salah leads the race for the Golden Boot with 22 goals in 34 games and a league-high 13 assists.

Alexander-Arnold, a Liverpool teammate, has made the shortlist after another outstanding season for Jurgen Klopp’s men. With two games left in the season, the 23-year-old has 12 assists and two goals in the league.

Son is second in the goalscoring charts, trailing only Salah, with 22 goals for Spurs, chasing a top-four finish.

The South Korean hopes to become the first Tottenham player to win the yearly award since Gareth Bale in 2013.

Bowen has had a standout season for West Ham, who reached the Europa League semi-finals, and his league form has piqued the interest of several top clubs.

Although Ronaldo has won player of the month twice, the soccer star was still omitted from the player of the season shortlist. Photo: MARCA

The 25-year-old has been a significant part of David Moyes’ team. It is only the second West Ham player to score and assist in double figures in a Premier League season, matching Paolo Di Canio’s feat.

Saka has led the charge for Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal as they seek a place in the Champions League, scoring 11 goals and providing six assists.

Saints captain James Ward- Prowse’s performance has drawn attention, and not just for his trademark set-piece capacity.

Four of his nine goals have come from direct free-kicks, prompting Guardiola to call him one of the best free-kick takers he has ever seen.

Cancelo, the marauding right-back who has played the most minutes of any of their outfield players, rounds out the shortlist.

The Portuguese player has made the most passes in the league, scoring or assisting on eight goals.

Fans on social media questioned Ronaldo’s absence, with one Twitter user, Arup Chatterjee, calling the shortlist a “joke.”

‘Where is Ronaldo, Mane, De Gea?’ they added.