Although the Brazilian full-back was forced to apologise for his behaviour after being sent off at Tottenham last week, an £8,000 fine suggested the Football Association did not view his exchange with referee Mike Dean to be the most heinous of crimes.
The punishment cleared Rafael to face Blackpool at Bloomfield Road and prove once again the class Giggs sees on a regular basis.
"Rafael has come on in leaps and bounds over the last few months," said the veteran Welshman. "I have seen a massive improvement, not only in the way he plays but within him as a person.
"I come up against him in a lot of training sessions because we play in opposite positions and I have seen the maturity develop over the last three or four months. If he keeps developing he is going to be a brilliant player."
Source: PA