Kepa Arrizabalaga has laid down the gauntlet to David de Gea after their battle to be Spain No.1 reached boiling point.
Having been handed his third cap against the Faroe Islands last Friday, the Chelsea goalkeeper had been expected to make way for his Manchester United counterpart against Sweden.
But the world’s most expensive stopper was again selected for the 3-0 victory at the Bernabeu on Monday night, with De Gea left to watch on from the bench.
Spain assistant boss Robert Moreno - in charge during Luis Enrique’s continue absence - insisted post-game that De Gea is no longer the undisputed No.1.
It is a blow to De Gea, after a disappointing end to the season at Old Trafford and having come under increased scrutiny in his homeland after a difficult World Cup 12 months ago.
Now Kepa, 24, while has insisted he will be going all out to ensure he remains the man between the sticks.
"We are always surrounded by such controversies, but we must take it naturally," Kepa said post-game.
"I'm happy to play, to help the team and to finish the season in the best way possible.
"I'm going to continue working as I have until now, doing my best at my club to keep the confidence of the coach.
"Whoever plays will do very well. Of course I understand that David is sad, we all train to play and then it is the decision of the coach, and it is up to you to respond well."
Moreno stated post-game that Kepa retaining the starting shirt is something both he and Luis Enrique had agreed upon in the buildup to the weekend's Euro 2020 qualifiers.
Explaining his reasons for dropping De Gea, Moreno cited Kepa's strong finish to Chelsea's campaign, as well as a feeling that the United keeper has become too comfortable in his position with La Roja.
"We don’t think the De Gea period with Spain is over," stated Moreno. "But Kepa had an incredible end of the season – champion of the Europa League with great performances.
"In this concrete moment, we thought that Kepa could help us in a better way.
"The competition is now on. When you have something easy, you get relaxed, and that’s not good. The competitiveness is also good in goal.
"It’s not just about one single thing. We already watched Kepa play quite well in the Europa League, so you could already guess he was in good shape. But we had to check it in the team.
"I talked to Luis Enrique on Friday, right before the game, and we chatted about it. And after the game, we decided to keep him in the lineup."
