🔗 Share this article

Having secured six victories out of six, an unbreached defense and a World Cup spot secured with two group games to spare, national team coach Thomas Tuchel might claim he has chosen wisely throughout qualification.

Yet, in the build-up to Thursday's Wembley encounter against Serbia, he sparked a debate when he said that three of the nation's top talents - Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden and Harry Kane - cannot play in the identical lineup.

"Presently, if we maintain the formation, they won't fit together.

"They might but not within this system, not maintaining equilibrium that we established and not within the framework that also includes wingers who are essentially experts in their positions. We play at the moment with a six, eight, a 10 and a nine."

From certain starters to fighting for spots

England's creative talents have been used in wide positions for England in the past, but the manager's choices suggest that the Barcelona loanee and Bukayo Saka are his first choices on the wide areas respectively.

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

The previous England manager evidently thought it possible.

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

In the 16 matches the three have featured simultaneously, England have won 10, shared points three times and suffered three losses, registering 36 scores and conceding 14.

Strategic view: Versatile Foden offers solutions

Tuchel has utilized a 4-2-3-1 formation that changes shape when England attack.

The young midfielder has been the primary attacking midfielder because of his excellent dribbling, strike quality and skill in entering the penalty area when the forward retreats.

Tuchel has discussed favoring dedicated wide players. The wide attackers play out wide weekly and can maintain possession effectively, engage in one-on-one situations, and arrive in the box to score.

In midfield behind the attackers, Tuchel employs a double pivot consisting of a holding midfielder and another with greater freedom to join the forward movement.

Potential configurations for England's stars

Foden and Bellingham would be competing with other creative midfielders for the number 10 role, with Kane likely to start up front.

Foden could operate as the main forward, which potentially could permit both Bellingham and Foden to feature instead of Kane.

There is one way all three could coexist effectively and Tuchel suggested it this week.

"For Man City, he functions as a central or attacking midfielder, so perhaps in coming months we consider him as a central midfielder," he said.

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

That has permitted him to contribute from midfield and could make him an option as the number eight, next to a more defensive number six.

This would then allow Bellingham to play as the creative force and Kane as the striker.

No matter whether Tuchel decides to set England up like this at the international competition, what seems encouraging is his preparedness to omit established stars in the name of balance.