Each player has been shortlisted both for the positional awards (such as best attacker) and for the overall UEFA Club Footballer of the Year gong.

Messi must be the favourite to add to his FIFA World Player of the Year accolade despite Barcelona's failure to even make Champions League Final last season.

The Catalans fell to eventual winners Inter Milan at the semi-final stage, but Messi still finished the competition as top goalscorer with eight goals. Inter striker Diego Milito, who scored twice in the final to break Bayern Munich hearts, finished the competition with six goals and should not be understimated for the UEFA Club Attacker of the Year trophy ahead of Messi.

Manchester United's Wayne Rooney, who was one behind Milito in the competition's final goalscoring tally, is also nominated in UEFA Club Attacker of the Year category alongside Messi and Milito.

The UEFA Club Football Awards will be presented during the UEFA Champions League group stage draw in Monaco on Thursday 26 August, with three players a piece in contention for the best goalkeeper, best defender, best midfielder and best attacker awards.

Inter's all-conquering side led by Jose Mourinho have players nominated in every category including two players in the Club Defender of the Year category with Brazilian duo Maicon and Lucio both recognised.

Barcelona's Gerard Pique, who scored a brilliant goal against the Italian outfit in the semis, is the third player nominated in the Club Defender of the Year category.

UEFA's Club Goalkeeper of the Year category is also dominated by Inter (Julio Cesar) and Barca (Victor Valdes) players with Olympique Lyonnais' Hugo Lloris getting the third and final nod.

Cesar, by virtue of his performances in the semi-finals and final, should win.

However, the UEFA Club Midfielder of the Year category is less straightforward to call with Barca's Xavi Hernandez, Bayern's Arjen Robben, and Inter's Wesley Sneijder all good bets to win.

Robben's solo performances to lead the Bundesliga champions past Manchester United into the Final might just have swayed more votes his way though.

The nominations are decided by the coaches of the 16 teams that reached the knockout stage of the 2009/10 UEFA Champions League. Each coach has the opportunity to vote for the individual positional prizes as well as to name their choice for UEFA Club Footballer of the Year 2010.

One of the following 12 players in line for a positional award will be presented with the main item of silverware during the awards ceremony at the Grimaldi Forum, which begins at 17.45CET next Thursday.

UEFA Club Goalkeeper of the Year
Júlio César (FC Internazionale Milano)
Hugo Lloris (Olympique Lyonnais)
Víctor Valdés (FC Barcelona)

UEFA Club Defender of the Year
Lúcio (FC Internazionale Milano)
Maicon (FC Internazionale Milano)
Gerard Piqué (FC Barcelona)

UEFA Club Midfielder of the Year
Xavi Hernández (FC Barcelona)
Arjen Robben (FC Bayern München)
Wesley Sneijder (FC Internazionale Milano)

UEFA Club Attacker of the Year
Lionel Messi (FC Barcelona)
Diego Milito (FC Internazionale Milano)
Wayne Rooney (Manchester United FC)