🔗 Share this article

Having secured six victories from six matches, zero goals allowed and World Cup qualification confirmed with matches remaining, England manager Thomas Tuchel could suggest he has made the right selection choices.

However, in the preparation for Thursday's domestic match against Serbia, he raised questions when he claimed that three of the nation's top talents - Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden and Harry Kane - cannot play in the identical lineup.

"Currently, 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 within the framework that comes also with wingers who are essentially experts in their positions. We play at the moment with specific numbered positions."

From guaranteed positions to competitive roles

The Manchester City and Real Madrid stars have been deployed on the flanks for England in the past, but the manager's choices imply that Marcus Rashford and Arsenal's winger are his first choices on the left and right flank respectively.

So can Bellingham, Foden and Kane play together?

Gareth Southgate evidently thought it possible.

Bellingham, Foden and Kane were selected for each England's seven fixtures at Euro 2024 in Germany, where Southgate's side fell to the Spanish in the final.

In the 16 fixtures the three have featured alongside each other, England have triumphed 10 times, drawn three and suffered three losses, scoring 36 times and allowing 14 goals.

Strategic view: Versatile Foden offers solutions

Tuchel has played a 4-2-3-1 system that transforms formation when England attack.

The young midfielder has been the main number 10 because of his excellent dribbling, strike quality and skill in entering the penalty area when the number nine withdraws.

Tuchel has mentioned preferring dedicated wide players. The wide attackers regularly feature on the wings and can maintain possession effectively, take their full-back on, and enter the area to finish.

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

Potential configurations for England's stars

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

Foden could play as the central striker, which theoretically could permit both Bellingham and Foden to feature instead of Kane.

There is one way all three could play in this system and Tuchel hinted at it this week.

"With his club, he plays almost like a central or attacking midfielder, so maybe during the next months we consider him as a central midfielder," he said.

Foden has been utilized as a flexible midfielder this season.

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

This would then permit Bellingham to feature as the creative force and Kane as the nine.

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