Barcelona coach Tito Vilanova is delighted with Thiago Alcantara's playing return.

Vilanova says the midfielder has made great improvements since the end of last season.

"Thiago is a different kind of player. He's much more complete now than he was before. He works hard and he's improved tremendously in his real play. In addition, he's also a very young player and he has a lot of potential," said Vilanova.