🔗 Share this article

After achieving six consecutive triumphs from six matches, no goals conceded and a World Cup spot confirmed with matches remaining, national team coach Thomas Tuchel can argue he has got all of his big qualifying decisions correct.

However, in the preparation for Thursday's domestic match against Serbia, he sparked a debate when he said that three of the country's best players - Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden and Harry Kane - struggle to perform in the same team.

"Presently, if we stick with the system, they won't fit together.

"They might but not within this system, not for the balance that we established and not for the structure that also includes wingers who are essentially experts in their positions. We presently employ with a six, eight, a 10 and a nine."

From automatic picks to contested places

England's creative talents have been deployed on the flanks for England in the past, but Tuchel's selections suggest that Marcus Rashford and Arsenal's winger are his preferred options on the wide areas respectively.

So can Bellingham, Foden and Kane play together?

Former Three Lions boss evidently thought it possible.

Bellingham, Foden and Kane were selected for each England's seven fixtures at last summer's tournament in Germany, where the national squad lost to Spain in the final.

In the 16 fixtures the stars have performed alongside each other, England have won 10, tied three matches and lost three, scoring 36 times and conceding 14.

Strategic view: Versatile Foden offers solutions

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

The young midfielder has been the main number 10 because of his strong ball-carrying, ball-striking and capacity to penetrate the area when the number nine withdraws.

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

Supporting the attacking quartet, Tuchel employs a double pivot consisting of a disciplined defensive presence and a partner with attacking liberty to contribute to the attack.

What solutions exist for the trio?

Foden and Bellingham would be vying against attacking alternatives for the number 10 role, with Kane probably featuring up front.

Foden could play as the central striker, which theoretically could enable both Bellingham and Foden to play at Kane's expense.

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

"At Manchester City, he functions as a central or attacking midfielder, so potentially in future we regard him as a central midfielder," he said.

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

That has allowed him to take responsibility deeper and could categorize him as the central midfielder, next to a more defensive number six.

This would then enable Bellingham to operate as the creative force and Kane as the nine.

Irrespective of whether Tuchel decides to set England up like this at the global tournament, what bodes well is his willingness to leave big players out in the pursuit of tactical equilibrium.