Rafael suffered through an injury-stricken campaign at Manchester United last season with a combination of ankle and thigh problems limiting the Brazilian to just 19 Premier League appearances. However, he is expected to bounce back from those disappointments and retain his right-back berth under Louis van Gaal next season. Rafael operates in a wing-back style position in that he is full of energy and contributes to attacking movements, which should mean he will fit into van Gaal's 4-3-3 formation like a glove. Van Gaal's formations are known for their attacking defenders, which would seem to favour the young South American. United don't have too many option at right-back. Chris Smalling has played there before, as have Phil Jones and even Antonio Valencia in times of crisis. But if Rafael can stay clear of injury in 2014-15, there is no reason why he can't command the right side of defence under van Gaal.
Joseph is an accredited football journalist and has interviewed nearly all of the current 20 Barclay's Premier League managers. He is also a correspondent for Bleacher Report and has written for Caught Offside and Give Me Football.
