Sibling rivalry for boys from Brazil

Rafael Da Silva is bracing himself for the disappointment of missing out on a place in Manchester United’s line-up for Saturday's Champions League final against Barcelona.

Rafael Da Silva is bracing himself for the disappointment of missing out on a place in Manchester United's line-up for Saturday's Champions League final against Barcelona.

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But the Brazilian defender admits no-one will be prouder than him if, as recent selections appear to suggest, his twin brother Fabio is picked by Sir Alex Ferguson to start at right-back.

The good-natured sibling rivalry between the 20-year-old identical twin brothers is one of the more intriguing sub-plots heading into Wembley, where the two defenders are vying for the same position.

"My brother's been playing quite well so we'll try to fight for the place," Rafael told journalists at United's training ground. "Of course because we are very close with each other, so we have to congratulate the other one.

"I think it's always important to have this kind of rivalry because that makes us grow as football players. We've been doing this since we were very young so we always motivate each other."

The Da Silva brothers rivalry does not go down very well with their parents however, who will be flying in from Brazil for the final.