🔗 Share this article

After achieving six consecutive triumphs out of six, an unbreached defense and World Cup qualification assured before the final rounds, Three Lions boss Thomas Tuchel can argue he has made the right selection choices.

Nevertheless, in the lead-up to Thursday's domestic match 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.

"At the moment, if we stick with the system, they are unable to feature.

"They might but not in the structure, not preserving harmony that we established and not within the framework that incorporates wingers who are like specialists in their positions. We currently utilize with defensive, central, attacking midfielders and striker."

From automatic picks to contested places

England's creative talents have been used in wide positions for England in the past, but the manager's choices suggest that the Manchester United forward and Bukayo Saka are his preferred options on the left and right flank respectively.

The question remains whether Bellingham, Foden and Kane play together?

Former Three Lions boss apparently believed they could.

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

In the 16 matches the stars have performed alongside each other, England have won 10, drawn three and been defeated three times, registering 36 scores and letting in 14 strikes.

Tactical insight: Foden's flexibility provides alternatives

Tuchel has utilized a 4-2-3-1 formation 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 forward retreats.

Tuchel has discussed favoring dedicated wide players. Saka and Gordon play out wide weekly and can retain the ball skillfully, engage in one-on-one situations, and enter the area to finish.

Supporting the attacking quartet, Tuchel employs a double pivot consisting of a holding midfielder and one with more license to contribute to the attack.

What solutions exist for the trio?

Foden and Bellingham would be vying against Cole Palmer, Morgan Rogers and Eberechi Eze for the creative hub, with Kane likely to start up front.

Foden could feature as the central striker, which theoretically could allow both Bellingham and Foden to operate without the captain.

There is an alternative approach all three could feature together and Tuchel alluded to it this week.

"At Manchester City, he operates similarly to a box-to-box or creative role, so perhaps in coming months we consider him as a number eight," he said.

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

That has permitted him to contribute from midfield and could position him as the advanced playmaker, next to a more defensive number six.

This would then enable Bellingham to operate as the number 10 and Kane as the nine.

Irrespective of whether Tuchel decides to set England up like this at the World Cup, what seems encouraging is his readiness to exclude star names in the name of balance.