David de Gea is currently out of favour in the Spanish national team.
Despite having enjoyed something of a renaissance at Manchester United this season, Luis Enrique continues to pick Unai Simon, David Raya and Robert Sanchez as his trio of shot-stoppers.
And Enrique hinted that the decision might come down to De Gea's frailties with the ball at his feet and when claiming crosses, addressing the goalkeeping issue during the current international break.
Enrique's goalkeeping comments
According to the Manchester Evening News, the Spain boss explained: "I look to have three starting goalkeepers and I think that right now I have them. Honestly. I wouldn’t have an issue with any of the three of them starting.
“Unai has accumulated some interesting experience. A goalkeeper should start the play and generate the first superiority, they must dominate the aerial play.
“I need a goalkeeper that transmits peace and calmness to me, that doesn’t mean they won’t make mistakes, errors are part of football. What they generate I like a lot.”
Goldbridge on the De Gea situation
And Enrique's comments went down like a lead balloon with Red Devils fan Mark Goldbridge, who is best known to casual audiences as the ever-entertaining anchor of The United Stand.
In reaction to the former Barcelona coach's recent quotes, Goldbridge took to Twitter with a viral post that even drew a reaction from none other than Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois.
Goldbridge penned: "All these Enrique quotes about De Gea... Dave just won players player of the year. Courtois won man of the match in a UCL final and isn't quick off his line or good with his feet. A keeper's first job is to save goals and we have one of the best in the business."
Man Utd fan Mark Goldbridge tweeted about the De Gea situation.
Courtois fires back on Twitter
And the United supporter surely never expected that Courtois would reply to the tweet, firing back with a series of images where he can be seen collecting the ball in the Champions League final.
While it doesn't seem as though Goldbridge was calling out Courtois' aerial ability - arguably his biggest strength - in the first place, it's nevertheless amusing that he retorted on Twitter.
But the back and forth didn't end there with Goldbridge quipping in reply: "Thanks for the MOTM performance against Liverpool from all United fans." Well played, Mark, well played.
Goldbridge thanked Courtois for his Champions League final performance.
Courtois wasn't even finished there, though, because he was quick to snap back at a supporter who claimed he 'got rattled by a YouTuber', simply tweeting: "We just love the banter mate."
Courtois fires back at a fan saying that he was 'rattled' by Goldbridge.
And when another fan asked Courtois to imagine what it's like playing behind Harry Maguire, Victor Lindelof, Alex Telles and Diogo Dalot, the Belgian replied: "I was just answering the fact, that I don’t collect crosses. I would never talk bad about another goalie."
Courtois responds to a comment about Man Utd's defence.
The Goldbridge vs Courtois resumes
Then, out of nowhere, Goldbridge comes back into things by replying to Courtois' tweet with: "I was actually talking about sweeper keeping and ball distribution. Some to value it over actual shot stopping. Which is what I was highlighting with you and De Gea."
Courtois responded to that by saying: "Well, it still just shows you haven’t watched me play since I left Chelsea. As this year all the build up starts with me. I am not the best, but certainly not how you put me down."
And Goldbridge clarified by tweeting: "My point was you are arguably the best keeper in the world and aren't considered to be a sweeper keeper. You're a shot stopper like De Gea. And Madrid won the UCL because of it. Not because you can pass."
Goldbridge and Courtois go back and forth on Twitter.
What a time to be alive.