Manuel Pellegrini believes Kevin De Bruyne will be a candidate for the Footballer of the Year award.
The Belgium international has scored seven goals and created six more in his 15 appearances for Manchester City since his £54 million move from Wolfsburg this summer.
After he scored City's opener and created Aleksandar Kolarov's strike in Saturday's 3-1 win over Southampton, manager Pellegrini said he thinks the former Chelsea player could win the individual honour.
"It's important he keeps playing the way he has so far," Pellegrini said. "He has so many games between now and the end of the season but I'm sure he will continue and he will be involved in those awards."
Pellegrini is pleased with the way De Bruyne, who scored 16 goals and recorded 27 assists for Wolfsburg last season, has slotted into the City team.
"I always say the way we play is good for him with his style of football," he added.
"I hope he will continue making good assistance and working the way he did tonight [Saturday] and scoring goals is also important.
"He also scored a lot of goals in Germany so we brought him here because he is a mix of a creative player and also a goalscorer."
Pellegrini used Yaya Toure as a No. 10 against Southampton, with Fernandinho and Fabian Delph playing as the more defensive midfielders.
But he said he still prefers to pick the Ivorian in a deeper role, explaining: "Maybe so many times Yaya plays a little behind with two midfielders and I always say that's his best position.
"A lot of people say they like him to play near the box but I don't think he likes it because he is better arriving from behind with the ball to the box. But for different reasons we need him playing that position and he is doing well."