🔗 Share this article

With six wins from six matches, no goals conceded and tournament placement confirmed with matches remaining, national team coach Thomas Tuchel might claim he has chosen wisely throughout qualification.

However, in the build-up to Thursday's home game against Serbia, he raised questions when he claimed that three of the England's elite footballers - Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden and Harry Kane - are unable to feature in the same team.

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

"They can but not in the structure, not preserving harmony that we created and not for the structure 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

The Manchester City and Real Madrid stars have been used in wide positions for England in the past, but the manager's choices suggest that Marcus Rashford and Arsenal's winger are his preferred options on the left and right flank respectively.

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

Former Three Lions boss certainly thought so.

Bellingham, Foden and Kane started all of 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 games the stars have performed simultaneously, England have secured 10 victories, shared points three times and been defeated three times, 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 Aston Villa player has been the main number 10 because of his excellent dribbling, ball-striking and skill in entering the penalty area when the forward retreats.

Tuchel has spoken about preferring specialist wingers. The Arsenal and Newcastle stars play out wide weekly and can maintain possession effectively, challenge defenders, and arrive in the box to score.

Behind this front four, Tuchel utilizes two central midfielders consisting of a disciplined defensive presence and a partner with attacking liberty to support offensive play.

What solutions exist for the trio?

Foden and Bellingham would be competing with attacking alternatives for the attacking midfield position, with Kane probably featuring up front.

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

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

"With his club, he functions as a central or attacking midfielder, so maybe during the next months we regard 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, alongside a holding midfielder.

This would then permit Bellingham to feature as the number 10 and Kane as the nine.

No matter whether Tuchel opts to structure the side like this at the global tournament, what seems encouraging is his readiness to exclude star names in the pursuit of tactical equilibrium.