🔗 Share this article

After achieving six consecutive triumphs in six games, an unbreached defense and a World Cup spot secured with two group games to spare, England manager Thomas Tuchel might claim he has chosen wisely throughout qualification.

Nevertheless, in the build-up to Thursday's home game against Serbia, he sparked a debate when he stated that three of the nation's top talents - Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden and Harry Kane - cannot play in the same team.

"At the moment, if we keep the structure, they are unable to feature.

"They can but not with current tactics, not for the balance that we created and not for the structure that comes also with wingers who are essentially experts in their positions. We currently utilize with defensive, central, attacking midfielders and striker."

From certain starters to fighting for spots

The Manchester City and Real Madrid stars have been utilized out wide for England in the past, but Tuchel's selections suggest that the Manchester United forward and Arsenal's winger are his primary selections on the wide areas respectively.

So can Bellingham, Foden and Kane coexist in the lineup?

Former Three Lions boss apparently believed they could.

Bellingham, Foden and Kane were selected for each England's seven games at the European Championship in Germany, where the national squad fell to the Spanish in the final.

In the 16 fixtures the stars have performed together, England have triumphed 10 times, shared points three times and lost three, registering 36 scores and conceding 14.

Tactical insight: Foden's flexibility provides alternatives

Tuchel has employed a four-two-three-one setup that alters structure when England attack.

Morgan Rogers has been the key creative force because of his excellent dribbling, strike quality and skill in entering the penalty area when the striker drops deep.

Tuchel has spoken about preferring specialist wingers. Saka and Gordon regularly feature on the wings and can hold the ball well, challenge defenders, and enter the area to finish.

Supporting the attacking quartet, Tuchel employs a double pivot consisting of one defensively strict player and another with greater freedom to join the forward movement.

So how could Tuchel use these three players?

Foden and Bellingham would be competing with Cole Palmer, Morgan Rogers and Eberechi Eze for the creative hub, with Kane expected to lead up front.

Foden could feature as the main forward, which theoretically could allow both Bellingham and Foden to feature instead of Kane.

There is an alternative approach all three could coexist effectively and Tuchel hinted at it this week.

"For Man City, he operates similarly to a box-to-box or creative role, so perhaps in coming months we view him as a central midfielder," he said.

Foden has been deployed in a versatile central position this season.

That has enabled him to operate from deeper areas and could position him as the advanced playmaker, next to a more defensive number six.

This would then enable Bellingham to operate as the creative force and Kane as the nine.

No matter whether Tuchel chooses to configure the team like this at the World Cup, what seems encouraging is his preparedness to omit established stars in the pursuit of tactical equilibrium.