Rafael ready to get going

The 21-year-old has endured a frustrating 2011/12 campaign, with injury problems restricting him to just six appearances.

A dislocated shoulder during pre-season caused an early delay, before a strained hamstring laid him low in November.

Rafael is, however, back to full fitness and ready to come back into contention.

He hopes his lack of action will work in his and United's favour, with an injection of fresh legs just what Sir Alex Ferguson's side need in their quest to retain their Premier League title.

"In many ways it feels like it's only the beginning of the season for me," Rafael told United Review.

"I'm just getting started, so I'm really looking forward to playing as many games as possible and, hopefully, helping the team win another Premier League trophy."

Experience

United are currently working their way through a testing run of fixtures, with Sunday's trip to Chelsea set to present them with another sizeable obstacle to overcome.

Rafael is confident the Red Devils will not buckle under pressure, with their past experiences of challenging for top honours set to stand them in good stead.

"I know everyone says this but I believe our experience will give us the edge," said the Brazilian.

"We've won many titles before and that is so important. Other clubs don't have that advantage.

"Sometimes that comes into play when you lose a game in April or May.

"Your first reaction may be to panic but if you look at people like Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes, they are always calm.

"They know how to act, and know that one bad game doesn't mean it is all over."