Barcelona goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen has said he thinks Manuel Neuer was "inappropriate" to question his comments regarding a desire to play more frequently for the Germany national team. 

Ter Stegen recently said it was a "blow" to sit out the two UEFA 2020 European Championship qualifying games against Netherlands and Northern Ireland. The remarks prompted a response from Neuer, with the Bayern Munich 'keeper saying the Barcelona man's comments were misplaced and disrespectful to others fighting to start.

Speaking in Germany ahead of the Blaugrana's UEFA Champions League clash with Borussia Dortmund, Ter Stegen was asked about the situation and defended his position, per Sam Marsden of ESPN FC:

"There's competition for places and every player wants to play. That's football. A lot of the time you're happy, but there are also other feelings. I have expectations and I have to express them.

"You can see how I have behaved in recent years, and I don't think that Neuer or others have to talk about my feelings or assess them. His remarks were inappropriate, but I don't want to say much more. I want to bring an end to all this controversy."

Per Marsden, the match at the Westfalenstadion will be significant for the German goalkeeper:

DW Sports shared the comments made by both goalkeepers in the buildup to Ter Stegen's latest riposte:

For Germany manager Joachim Low, having two world-class stoppers to choose from would have long represented a luxury. However, he will surely be concerned by the spiky relationship developing between the two.

At the moment, Neuer is the first choice for the national side; the Bayern man is also the captain of the team.

Low's faith in Neuer was emphasised at the 2018 FIFA World Cup, when the goalkeeper was selected to start the tournament despite missing large portions of the previous season due to injury. Ter Stegen had excelled for a Barcelona team that had won La Liga and Copa del Rey leading up to the tournament.

The Blaugrana star has been one of the team's key players in recent years, excelling both domestically and on the European stage:

One of the best saves he made last term came against Lyon in the Champions League last-16:

At the age of 27, Ter Stegen is six years Neuer's junior; as such, the Barcelona man is the future of the national team. While the likes of Bernd Leno and Kevin Trapp are quality goalkeepers, neither are in the same bracket as Ter Stegen, who has developed into one of the best in the world at the Camp Nou.

The next international is in October, when Germany face Argentina in a friendly before a qualifier against Estonia.