As the Professional Footballers' Association (PFA) announced its six nominees for the Player of the Year award yesterday, five of them knew that the best they could hope for was second place. Cristiano Ronaldo is certain to win the award for the second successive season and, with the Young Player of the Year and the Footballer of the Year, selected by football writers, also destined for the Portuguese's mantelpiece again, Sir Alex Ferguson felt moved to state that the Manchester United forward's ego will not be inflated by the accolades that are coming his way.

Ferguson is likely to be pleased by an interview this week in which Ronaldo told one of United's media outlets that he would happily sacrifice personal awards for the success of the team, but the Ballon d'Or - in which he finished a distant runner-up to Kaká, of AC Milan, last year - has become an obsession for the 23-year-old. In an interview with a French football magazine this week, Ronaldo stated that: “My ultimate aim is to be the best in the world. I work towards that goal every day, but only God knows if I will one day get that Ballon d'Or, which is so important to me.”

Winning the Barclays Premier League and the Champions League with United would leave Ronaldo as a strong early favourite to win that award in December - even if much may hinge on his performances for Portugal at Euro 2008 this summer. Even Kaká, the Brazil forward, has said this week that Ronaldo is “the best player in the world at the moment”, but Ferguson believes that the United player, who has scored 37 goals this season, is unmoved by individual accolades.

“It doesn't affect him,” the United manager said yesterday. “I don't see any signs at all that it affects him. The boy is intelligent enough and sensible enough to realise what football is about. Success can affect people and we see that time and time again. But the great quality is to have humility.

“Yes, he will express himself in a way that's extravagant at times, but that's a measure of his courage and real ability. That's something we would never in any way wish to stop him doing because that's what we want, for players to go on the stage at Old Trafford and express themselves like that in a big, big way.”

It is a mark of how much Ronaldo has dominated the United team this season that he was the only one of their players who was named on the PFA's six-man shortlist for the main award yesterday. Arsenal and Liverpool each had two contenders, with David James receiving a well-earned nomination after an excellent campaign for Portsmouth, but Ronaldo was the only nominee from United, despite the claims of Rio Ferdinand. “I could nominate a lot of players,” Ferguson said, “but then I am biased.”

Ronaldo is certain to return to the starting line-up for United against Arsenal tomorrow, having been rested, along with Paul Scholes and Wayne Rooney, for the midweek Champions League victory over AS Roma. In contrast with 12 months ago, when they were beaten in the Champions League semi-finals by AC Milan, Ferguson is delighted with the freshness in his squad. However, he knows that their season is likely to be shaped by three matches in seven days; the two legs of the Champions League semi-final against Barcelona take place three days either side of the Premier League match away to Chelsea on April 26.

Carlos Queiroz, the United assistant manager, watched Sporting Lisbon's Uefa Cup quarter-final, second leg against Rangers on Thursday, fuelling rumours of a summer bid for Miguel Veloso, the Portugal midfield player.

Nominations

PFA Player of the Year

Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United)

Cesc Fàbregas (Arsenal)

Emmanuel Adebayor (Arsenal)

Steven Gerrard (Liverpool)

Fernando Torres (Liverpool)

David James (Portsmouth)

Young Player of the Year

Ronaldo

Torres

Fàbregas

Gabriel Agbonlahor (Aston Villa)

Ashley Young (Aston Villa)

Micah Richards (Manchester City)