🔗 Share this article

After achieving six consecutive triumphs out of six, an unbreached defense and a World Cup spot secured with two group games to spare, England manager Thomas Tuchel can argue he has made the right selection choices.

However, in the lead-up to Thursday's home game against Serbia, he sparked a debate when he claimed that three of the nation's top talents - Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden and Harry Kane - struggle to perform in the same team.

"Presently, if we maintain the formation, they are unable to feature.

"It's possible but not with current tactics, not maintaining equilibrium that we developed and not within the framework that comes also with wingers who are highly specialized in their positions. We currently utilize with a six, eight, a 10 and a nine."

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 Barcelona loanee and Bukayo Saka are his first choices on the left and right flank respectively.

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

Gareth Southgate certainly thought so.

Bellingham, Foden and Kane featured in every England's seven games at Euro 2024 in Germany, where the England team fell to the Spanish in the final.

In the 16 fixtures the trio have played alongside each other, England have secured 10 victories, tied three matches and been defeated three times, netting 36 goals and letting in 14 strikes.

Strategic view: Versatile Foden offers solutions

Tuchel has played a 4-2-3-1 system that changes shape when England attack.

The Aston Villa player has been the main number 10 because of his impressive ball progression, shooting ability and ability to attack the box when the striker drops deep.

Tuchel has discussed favoring dedicated wide players. The wide attackers play out wide weekly and can maintain possession effectively, take their full-back on, and enter the area to finish.

Supporting the attacking quartet, Tuchel utilizes two central midfielders consisting of one defensively strict player and a partner with attacking liberty to support offensive play.

Potential configurations for England's stars

Foden and Bellingham would be battling with attacking alternatives for the creative hub, with Kane likely to start up front.

Foden could play as the main forward, which theoretically could allow both Bellingham and Foden to operate without the captain.

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

"With his club, he functions as a number eight or 10, so potentially in future we regard him as a box-to-box player," he said.

Foden has been used in a more all-purpose midfield role this season.

That has allowed him to take responsibility deeper and could position him as the central midfielder, next to a more defensive number six.

This would then allow Bellingham to play as the number 10 and Kane as the striker.

Irrespective of whether Tuchel chooses to configure the team like this at the World Cup, what bodes well is his preparedness to omit established stars in the name of balance.