🔗 Share this article

With six wins out of six, zero goals allowed and a World Cup spot assured before the final rounds, England manager Thomas Tuchel might claim he has chosen wisely throughout qualification.

However, in the lead-up to Thursday's Wembley encounter against Serbia, he raised questions when he claimed that three of the England's elite footballers - 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 with current tactics, not preserving harmony that we created and not for the structure that also includes wingers who are highly specialized in their positions. We presently employ with specific numbered positions."

From guaranteed positions to competitive roles

England's creative talents have been utilized out wide for England in the past, but his team selections suggest that the Manchester United forward and Bukayo Saka are his primary selections on the wing positions respectively.

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

Gareth Southgate evidently thought it possible.

Bellingham, Foden and Kane were selected for each England's seven matches at the European Championship in Germany, where the England team were defeated by Spain in the final.

In the 16 games the three have featured simultaneously, England have triumphed 10 times, tied three matches and lost three, netting 36 goals and conceding 14.

Strategic view: Versatile Foden offers solutions

Tuchel has utilized a 4-2-3-1 formation that alters structure when England attack.

The young midfielder has been the main number 10 because of his impressive ball progression, strike quality and capacity to penetrate the area when the striker drops deep.

Tuchel has spoken about preferring specialist wingers. The Arsenal and Newcastle stars play out wide weekly and can hold the ball well, take their full-back on, and appear in scoring positions.

In midfield behind the attackers, Tuchel utilizes two central midfielders consisting of a disciplined defensive presence and another with greater freedom to support offensive play.

What solutions exist for the trio?

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

Foden could feature as the central striker, which potentially could permit 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.

"With his club, he plays almost like a number eight or 10, so perhaps in coming months we consider him as a number eight," he said.

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

That has enabled him to operate from deeper areas and could categorize 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 center forward.

Irrespective of whether Tuchel decides to set England up like this at the global tournament, what appears positive is his readiness to exclude star names in the interest of team harmony.