Rafael da Silva is likely to be out for a further month due to ankle ligament damage. With Gary Neville and Wes Brown already missing chunks of the season due to injury, it is now official that the right-back position has been our unluckiest when it comes to injuries this season.

In the weekend’s League Cup final, John O’Shea might be given the nod, although Richard Eckersley might be preferred, with the manager wanting to include as much youth as possible.

After Rafael’s great start to the season, it’s such a shame to see him miss such crucial parts. It might be too much to expect him to fit back in to the team when the quarter and semi-finals start rolling around.

Gutted.