🔗 Share this article

With six wins in six games, no goals conceded and a World Cup spot secured with two group games to spare, Three Lions boss Thomas Tuchel can argue he has chosen wisely throughout qualification.

However, in the lead-up to Thursday's domestic match against Serbia, he raised questions when he stated that three of the country's best players - Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden and Harry Kane - are unable to feature in the equivalent formation.

"Presently, if we stick with the system, they cannot play.

"They can but not in the structure, not for the balance that we created and not for the structure that incorporates wingers who are highly specialized in their positions. We presently employ with defensive, central, attacking midfielders and striker."

From guaranteed positions to competitive roles

England's creative talents have been deployed on the flanks for England in the past, but the manager's choices suggest that the Manchester United forward and Arsenal's winger are his preferred options on the wide areas respectively.

But can Bellingham, Foden and Kane operate simultaneously?

Former Three Lions boss apparently believed they could.

Bellingham, Foden and Kane featured in every England's seven games at the European Championship in Germany, where the England team were defeated by Spain in the final.

In the 16 matches the three have featured alongside each other, England have triumphed 10 times, shared points three times and lost three, scoring 36 times and allowing 14 goals.

Tactical insight: Foden's flexibility provides alternatives

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

Morgan Rogers has been the primary attacking midfielder because of his strong ball-carrying, shooting ability and capacity to penetrate the area when the forward retreats.

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

Behind this front four, Tuchel plays with a midfield two consisting of one defensively strict player and a partner with attacking liberty to join the forward movement.

So how could Tuchel use these three players?

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

Foden could feature as the number nine, which theoretically could allow both Bellingham and Foden to play at Kane's expense.

There is a potential solution all three could play in this system and Tuchel hinted at it this week.

"For Man City, he operates similarly to a box-to-box or creative role, so perhaps in coming months 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, paired with a defensive anchor.

This would then allow Bellingham to play as the attacking midfielder and Kane as the nine.

Regardless of if Tuchel opts to structure the side like this at the global tournament, what seems encouraging is his preparedness to omit established stars in the name of balance.