PSG trio shortlisted for Ligue 1 player of year

PARIS - Zlatan Ibrahimovic is in the running to win France's player of the year prize for the second year running after being one of three Paris Saint-Germain players shortlisted on Thursday.

Swedish striker Ibrahimovic is the leading scorer in Ligue 1 this season with 25 goals and has bagged a club record tally of 40 in all competitions, despite not finding the net since the middle of March, with injury keeping him on the sidelines for the past month.

As well as Ibrahimovic, champions-elect PSG also have central defender and skipper Thiago Silva and Italy midfielder Thiago Motta in the running for the prize, with the fourth and final nominee Monaco's Colombian playmaker James Rodriguez.

The latter is also nominated for young player of the year along with his Monaco colleague, the left-back Layvin Kurzawa, PSG midfielder Marco Verratti and Toulouse's Ivory Coast defender Serge Aurier.

The winners will be announced at a ceremony on Sunday, May 11.