🔗 Share this article

After achieving six consecutive triumphs from six matches, an unbreached defense and tournament placement assured before the final rounds, England manager Thomas Tuchel can argue he has made the right selection choices.

Nevertheless, in the preparation for Thursday's home game against Serbia, he initiated discussion when he claimed that three of the nation's top talents - Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden and Harry Kane - are unable to feature in the identical lineup.

"Currently, if we maintain the formation, they cannot play.

"It's possible but not in the structure, not preserving harmony that we created and not in this formation that incorporates wingers who are like specialists in their positions. We presently employ with a six, eight, a 10 and a nine."

From automatic picks to contested places

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

The question remains whether Bellingham, Foden and Kane play together?

Former Three Lions boss evidently thought it possible.

Bellingham, Foden and Kane featured in every England's seven matches at Euro 2024 in Germany, where the national squad fell to the Spanish in the final.

In the 16 fixtures the three have featured alongside each other, England have won 10, drawn three and been defeated three times, netting 36 goals and allowing 14 goals.

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 primary attacking midfielder because of his impressive ball progression, ball-striking and capacity to penetrate the area when the forward retreats.

Tuchel has discussed favoring dedicated wide players. The wide attackers play out wide weekly and can hold the ball well, engage in one-on-one situations, and enter the area to finish.

Supporting the attacking quartet, Tuchel plays with a midfield two consisting of a disciplined defensive presence and one with more license to support offensive play.

Potential configurations for England's stars

Foden and Bellingham would be vying against other creative midfielders for the creative hub, with Kane likely to start up front.

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

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

"With his club, he operates similarly to a central or attacking midfielder, so maybe during the next months we view him as a box-to-box player," he said.

Foden has been deployed in a versatile central position this season.

That has allowed him to take responsibility deeper and could make him an option as the central midfielder, alongside a holding midfielder.

This would then allow Bellingham to play as the number 10 and Kane as the striker.

Irrespective of whether Tuchel decides to set England up like this at the World Cup, what appears positive is his preparedness to omit established stars in the pursuit of tactical equilibrium.