Both Thierry Henry and Jamie Carragher have overlooked a quintet of Chelsea players in their predictions for the 2021 Ballon d’Or.
The award given to the best footballer of the calendar year, Chelsea have five players up for a nomination.
Midfielders Jorginho, N’Golo Kante and Mason Mount are included on the 30-man shortlist, whilst summer arrival Romelu Lukaku and current Blues skipper Cesar Azpilicueta also feature.
As it stands, Bayern Munich frontman Robert Lewandowski is the favourite to claim the award for the first time in his career after another stunning year for the German champions.
However, both Henry and Carragher have overlooked the Poland international - and indeed the five Chelsea players - in their predictions, with the latter plumping for Liverpool sensation Mohamed Salah.
Talking to CBS Sport, the former defender said: “It’s not to say now, he [Salah] is the best player in the world, he’s number one.
“What I’m trying to say is right now, in terms of current form, I don’t think anyone is playing better than Mo Salah in the actual form he’s in.
“That might change when we get to Christmas, that might change when we get to the end of the season, but I just think on his current form in his first two or three months, I would put Mo Salah at the top. Not because he’s been scoring lots of goals but because he’s looking more like a great player and just a great goalscorer.”
Meanwhile, Henry held a slightly different opinion to that of his punditry colleague and instead selected his compatriot; Real Madrid forward Karim Benzema.
The ex-Arsenal and Barcelona man said: “On current form, you say you’re not putting Benzema in that, the way that he is playing, the goals that he has.
“What he has been doing for France at the Euros and at the Nations League. It’s not that clear for me.
“If you watch Real Madrid from the beginning of the season and if you watch what he has been doing for France, he’s in the discussion and it’s not that clear at all.”
The winner of the 2021 Ballon d’Or is set to be announced at a gala event in Paris on November 29.
