🔗 Share this article

With six wins in six games, zero goals allowed and World Cup qualification secured with two group games to spare, England manager Thomas Tuchel could suggest he has made the right selection choices.

Yet, in the build-up to Thursday's Wembley encounter against Serbia, he initiated discussion when he said that three of the nation's top talents - Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden and Harry Kane - cannot play in the identical lineup.

"At the moment, if we keep the structure, they cannot play.

"They can but not with current tactics, not for the balance that we established and not in this formation that also includes wingers who are essentially experts in their positions. We presently employ with specific numbered positions."

From automatic picks to contested places

England's creative talents have been utilized out wide for England in the past, but the manager's choices indicate that Marcus Rashford and Bukayo Saka are his first choices on the left and right flank respectively.

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

The previous England manager evidently thought it possible.

Bellingham, Foden and Kane started all of 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 three have featured simultaneously, England have triumphed 10 times, shared points three times and suffered three losses, scoring 36 times and conceding 14.

Tactical insight: Foden's flexibility provides alternatives

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

The young midfielder has been the key creative force because of his strong ball-carrying, shooting ability and skill in entering the penalty area when the forward retreats.

Tuchel has mentioned preferring specialist wingers. Saka and Gordon 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 plays with a midfield two consisting of one defensively strict player and a partner with attacking liberty to contribute to the attack.

Potential configurations for England's stars

Foden and Bellingham would be battling with Cole Palmer, Morgan Rogers and Eberechi Eze for the number 10 role, with Kane probably featuring up front.

Foden could play as the main forward, which potentially could permit both Bellingham and Foden to feature instead of Kane.

There is a potential solution all three could coexist effectively and Tuchel alluded to it this week.

"At Manchester City, he functions as a central or attacking midfielder, so maybe during the next months we regard him as a box-to-box player," he said.

Foden has been utilized as a flexible midfielder this season.

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

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

No matter whether Tuchel decides to set England up like this at the global tournament, what seems encouraging is his readiness to exclude star names in the pursuit of tactical equilibrium.