The shortlist of nominees to be named Player of the Month at La Liga giants Real Madrid has been unveiled online.
And it features head-turning inclusions and exclusions alike.
When it comes to the latter, the most notable absence comes in the form of that of Kylian Mbappé.
Frontman Mbappé has dominated the Player of the Month award in Spain’s capital across the season to date, but has not been recognised for his efforts across December.
Put forth by the Blancos faithful, on the other hand, are all of Jude Bellingham, Thibaut Courtois, and Aurélien Tchouaméni.
Also returning to the fray is the back-in-form Rodrygo, just rewards for a fine recent stretch of individual performances.
The most surprising candidate, though, comes in the form of Antonio Rüdiger, who has actually been singled out for heavy criticism for the level of his showings over recent weeks.
Check out the Real Madrid Player of the Month shortlist in full below:
Conor Laird – GSFN
