Rafael rates rival defenders

to bad luck.

Is it anything to do with your committed style of play?
I don’t know. Maybe. But that’s the way I play. I like to play with passion and when I’m on the pitch I can’t worry about getting hurt or stop making tackles. I just want to play football and give my all.

We know you like to do most things with your brother, Fabio. But getting injured at the same time...
[laughs] That’s what everybody was saying! It’s true that we like to go out together – we eat together, we go to the cinema together. But we didn’t plan to get injured at the same time. Definitely not! My brother’s always a big help to me when I’m injured, though, and I try and do the same for him when he’s out. It’s good to have somebody there to keep you positive.

So, how relieved are you to be back now?
I came back against Crystal Palace in the Carling Cup but picked up another small injury in that game. That was disappointing and it knocked my confidence a little but I played again against Blackburn on New Year’s Eve and I’ve played a few times since then. Every game helps and I think I’ve done quite well, so I’m confident I can get better and better.

Sir Alex played you in midfield against Blackburn. Were you surprised?
A little bit, yeah. But I’ve played there before for United so I knew what was expected of me. When the manager told me I was playing in midfield I wasn’t worried. I just thought, “I’m ready, let’s play!”. I’m a professional footballer so I’ll play anywhere. I probably did a little better when I moved back to my normal position, but I felt comfortable in midfield and would do it again. Maybe I’ll move there for good when I get a bit older. You never know! After all, look at