The release of FIFA 18 is just days away and EA are teasing fans with the latest round of player ratings.Over the course of the week, the statistics of the top 100 players in the game have been released in a series of batches. And, consequently, gamers will soon find out who will be top dog – Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi?When you think about it, EA have far from an easy job. While the actual numerical figures are relative, which players are better or worse than others can divide fans.

SIGN UP NOW

Want to become a GMS writer? Sign up now and submit a 250-word test article: http://gms.to/haveyoursay

The fact Henrikh Mkhitaryan is rated higher than Sadio Mane has already ruffled the feathers of Liverpool supporters.

Meanwhile, Tottenham fans were irked by the fact Romelu Lukaku was handed the same rating as double Golden Boot winner Harry Kane.

The actual, overall rating isn’t the whole story, though. In EA unveiling the players’ Ultimate Team cards, some of their individual stats are also revealed.

That’s pace, dribbling, passing shooting, defending and physical for the record.

And the latest batch of rating releases has seen these very figures come under inspection. When you consider Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang features in this cohort, attention was inevitably drawn to pace.

The Gabonese forward, interestingly, actually saw his speed rating slightly downgraded to the still lofty heights of 96. Players know all about the benefit of swift forward in their side.

Spare a thought then, for Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

While at age 35 the Swede was never going to be setting the world alight, his pace rating has received a sizeable chop. His FIFA 17 score came in at 72 but will nose dive to 65 for the new game.

That means the likes of Andrea Barzagli, Jan Vertonghen, Gerard Pique and Ivan Rakitic are all deemed to be faster or just as quick.

It’s fair to say Manchester United fans and general Zlatan fans aren’t happy. In fact, a great number of them have taken to Twitter to voice their disappointment.

Here are the pick of the tweets:

There are even factions that are underwhelmed by his overall rating. For a 35-year-old, there is no shame in a 88 rating but fans are questioning the drop of two when EA only recently handed him a Team of the Season card.

Others are scratching their heads over his physical stat too with N’Golo Kante, Paul Pogba and Sami Khedira supposedly outmuscling him.

We’re sure Zlatan would be keen to refute EA’s decisions but with his career unwinding, there’s no shame in finishing above Andres Iniesta.

Do you think Ibrahimovic deserves to start for Manchester United? Let us know by leaving a comment below.