Barcelona defender Jordi Alba has claimed that teammate Neymar is itching to return to action.

The Brazilian, who starred for his country at the World Cup, is currently still recovering from a fractured vertebra that he suffered on international duty in Brazil.

However, Alba has said that the forward will "recover quickly".

"Neymar is very eager and excited, he'll recover quickly. He's very happy at Barcelona and, for us, he's an important player," Alba told reporters.

Neymar scored 15 times in his first season at the Camp Nou.