Eden Hazard, N'Golo Kante, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Alexis Sanchez among nominations for the PFA Player of the Year awardDo you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline?Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline c

N'Golo Kante and Eden Hazard's efforts in Chelsea's Premier League title tilt have been recognised with nominations for the Professional Footballers' Association Player of the Year award.

Kante, who was shortlisted last year for his part in Leicester's remarkable season but did not make the top three, is the bookmakers' favourite for the 2016-17 accolade, with Alexis Sanchez, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Romelu Lukaku and Harry Kane also on the six-man shortlist.

While Tottenham's Kane does feature, there is no place on the shortlist for team-mate Dele Alli, despite the young England international's stunning season, although he does lead the nominations for the Young Player of the Year prize.

Eden Hazard has led Chelsea's seemingly unstoppable charge to the Premier League title

N'Golo Kante was nominated last season but missed out on the top three while at Leicester

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PREMIER LEAGUE 2016-17 STATS FOR THE SIX NOMINEES 

EDEN HAZARD 

Games: 29

Goals: 14

Assists: 5 

ZLATAN IBRAHIMOVIC  

Games: 27

Goals: 17

Assists: 5

HARRY KANE 

Games: 24

Goals: 19

Assists: 4

N'GOLO KANTE 

Games: 30

Goals: 1

Assists: 1 

ROMELU LUKAKU  

Games: 32

Goals: 23

Assists: 6 

ALEXIS SANCHEZ  

Games: 32

Goals: 18

Assists: 9

Another player who may feel unfortunate to miss out is Sunderland striker Jermain Defoe who, despite now being 34, has struck 14 times for a Black Cats side who would be completely dead and buried were it not for his efforts. He has scored nearly 60 per cent of their goals this season. 

Hazard picked up this award two years ago, when the Blues won the league at a canter under Jose Mourinho and could be in line for his second gong when the winners are announced at Grosvenor House in London on Sunday, April 23.

Everton forward Lukaku, the top flight's leading scorer this term with 23 goals, is battling it out with a number of his fellow nominees for the Golden Boot.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic has impressed in English football when many thought he would struggle

Romelu Lukaku has scored 23 Premier League goals and leads the Golden Boot race

Manchester United striker Ibrahimovic has scored 17 goals in his first season in English football, while Sanchez has notched 18 times to brighten up what has been a disappointing campaign for Arsenal.

Kane - the only English nominee in this category - has netted 19 goals despite two spells out with ankle problems. He was third in the voting last year and has also been shortlisted for the Young Player of the Year gong alongside Spurs team-mate Alli.

Alli, who turned 21 on Tuesday, won this award last year and has enjoyed another brilliant season, scoring 16 goals to help Mauricio Pochettino's side emerge as Chelsea's nearest challengers.

The Tottenham duo are joined by Lukaku, Burnley defender Michael Keane, Sunderland goalkeeper Jordan Pickford and Manchester City winger Leroy Sane.

Alexis Sanchez is a bright spark in what has been a disappointing season for Arsenal

Harry Kane has missed large chunks of the season through injury but has still been nominated 

Keane's impressive form for the Clarets this term earned him a first England senior call-up late last year, and he now has two caps to his name. Pickford has performed well between the posts in a struggling Black Cats side, while Germany international Sane has won rave reviews of late following his big-money summer arrival from Schalke.

Having won last season's Women's Super League crown without losing a game, Manchester City are understandably well represented for the women's Player of the Year prize.

England right-back Lucy Bronze, who won the award in 2014, is joined by the club's top scorer Jane Ross and midfielder Jill Scott. Alongside the City trio on the six-woman shortlist are Ellen White, Karen Carney and Caroline Weir.

Dele Alli may feel disappointed to have missed out but leads the Young Player nominations

YOUNG PLAYER 

Michael Keane (Burnley)

Romelu Lukaku (Everton)

Leroy Sane (Manchester City) 

Deli Alli (Tottenham)

Harry Kane (Tottenham) 

Jordan Pickford (Sunderland) 

WOMEN'S PLAYER 

Ellen White (Birmingham) 

Karen Carney (Chelsea) 

Caroline Weir (Liverpool) 

Lucy Bronze (Manchester City) 

Jane Ross (Manchester City) 

Jill Scott (Manchester City)  

Ross and Liverpool midfielder Weir both look set to feature in the Scotland team that face England at Euro 2017 this summer.

Bronze and Scott will represent England at the showpiece tournament in Holland, along with attacking midfielder Carney - a consistently strong performer for Chelsea last term - and Birmingham forward White, who scored the winner against the United States at the SheBelieves Cup last month.

Chelsea's Millie Bright and Manchester City's Nikita Parris - both also going to the Euros with England - have been nominated for the women's Young Player of the Year gong.

Three City players get the nod in this category too, with Parris joined by Georgia Stanway and Keira Walsh. Weir is again nominated, along with Birmingham's Jess Carter.

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