Three Lions' top talents are unable to operate simultaneously - is Tuchel right?
Having secured six victories from six matches, no goals conceded and a World Cup spot confirmed with matches remaining, England manager Thomas Tuchel might claim he has made the right selection choices.
Nevertheless, in the lead-up to Thursday's Wembley encounter against Serbia, he initiated discussion when he stated 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 stick with the system, they won't fit together.
"They might but not in the structure, not preserving harmony that we developed and not within the framework 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 automatic picks to contested places
England's creative talents have been used in wide positions for England in the past, but Tuchel's selections imply that Marcus Rashford and the Gunners' star are his preferred options on the wide areas respectively.
The question remains whether Bellingham, Foden and Kane play together?
The previous England manager certainly thought so.
Bellingham, Foden and Kane featured in every England's seven fixtures at Euro 2024 in Germany, where the national squad lost to Spain in the final.
In the 16 matches the three have featured alongside each other, England have won 10, drawn three and been defeated three times, scoring 36 times and conceding 14.
Tactical insight: Foden's flexibility provides alternatives
Tuchel has employed a four-two-three-one setup that alters structure when England attack.
The Aston Villa player has been the key creative force because of his impressive ball progression, ball-striking and capacity to penetrate the area when the number nine withdraws.
Tuchel has spoken about preferring dedicated wide players. Saka and Gordon play out wide weekly and can maintain possession effectively, engage in one-on-one situations, and enter the area to finish.
In midfield behind the attackers, Tuchel employs a double pivot consisting of a holding midfielder and another with greater freedom to support offensive play.
Potential configurations for England's stars
Foden and Bellingham would be battling with attacking alternatives for the attacking midfield position, with Kane probably featuring up front.
Foden could feature as the main forward, which in theory could allow both Bellingham and Foden to operate without the captain.
There is one way all three could coexist effectively and Tuchel alluded to it this week.
"For Man City, he functions as a box-to-box or creative role, so perhaps in coming months we regard him as a box-to-box player," 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, next to a more defensive number six.
This would then allow Bellingham to play as the attacking midfielder and Kane as the nine.
Regardless of if Tuchel decides to set England up like this at the global tournament, what seems encouraging is his readiness to exclude star names in the interest of team harmony.
