Lionel Messi’s camp has felt the need to release a long statement to clear up speculation about his current thigh injury and a reported broken relationship with key Barcelona medical staff.

Since it was confirmed on Monday that Messi would miss the rest of 2013 to allow persistent muscle issues in both his thighs to recover properly, the Spanish and Catalan media have been full of stories analysing the situation, the reasons for his recent string of similar injuries, and the potential fall-out for all involved.

Much of this coverage has focused on an alleged break in the previous close relationship between Messi and Barca physio Juanjo Brau, with the decision to bring over Argentine specialist Luis Garcia to oversee the recovery process seen as highly significant.

This had led senior Barca figures including sporting director Andoni Zubizarreta to deny any issues between the player, his family, and the club.