Messi explains absence in Hong Kong match for third time

(ECNS) -- Argentine football star Lionel Messi explained his absence during a match two weeks ago in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region on the Chinese social media platform Weibo, on Monday.

Messi denied in a video that his absence was due to political reasons and reiterated thatit is because of an inflamed adductor that had worsened the day before the game in Hong Kong.

"Since the start of my career, I’ve had a very close and special relationship with China. I’ve done a lot of things in China,” Messi said in the video. He added that he would like to come to China again.

He ended the video by saying he wanted to send good wishes to the people of China and to see them again.

It's the third time that the footballer explained his absence, following his responses on Feb. 6 and 7 respectively.

Messi was expected to play a friendly match with players from the Hong Kong Premier League on Feb. 4 but he sat on the bench throughout the entire match due to a claimed muscle problem.