🔗 Share this article

After achieving six consecutive triumphs out of six, no goals conceded and tournament placement confirmed with matches remaining, England manager Thomas Tuchel could suggest he has made the right selection choices.

However, in the preparation for Thursday's domestic match against Serbia, he sparked a debate when he stated that three of the country's best players - Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden and Harry Kane - cannot play in the equivalent formation.

"At the moment, if we maintain the formation, they cannot play.

"They might but not within this system, not for the balance that we established and not within the framework that also includes wingers who are essentially experts in their positions. We presently employ with specific numbered positions."

From guaranteed positions to competitive roles

The Manchester City and Real Madrid stars have been used in wide positions for England in the past, but Tuchel's selections suggest that the Manchester United forward and Bukayo Saka are his first choices on the wing positions respectively.

The question remains whether Bellingham, Foden and Kane operate simultaneously?

The previous England manager evidently thought it possible.

Bellingham, Foden and Kane featured in every England's seven games at the European Championship in Germany, where Southgate's side lost to Spain in the final.

In the 16 fixtures the stars have performed together, England have secured 10 victories, shared points three times and suffered three losses, netting 36 goals and letting in 14 strikes.

Analysis: Foden's versatility gives Tuchel options

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

Morgan Rogers has been the primary attacking midfielder because of his strong ball-carrying, strike quality and ability to attack the box when the forward retreats.

Tuchel has spoken about preferring dedicated wide players. The wide attackers play out wide weekly and can maintain possession effectively, challenge defenders, and arrive in the box to score.

Supporting the attacking quartet, Tuchel plays with a midfield two consisting of a disciplined defensive presence and another with greater freedom to contribute to the attack.

So how could Tuchel use these three players?

Foden and Bellingham would be competing with other creative midfielders for the number 10 role, with Kane likely to start up front.

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

There is an alternative approach all three could feature together and Tuchel alluded to it this week.

"For Man City, he plays almost like a central or attacking midfielder, so potentially in future we view him as a box-to-box player," he said.

Foden has been utilized as a flexible midfielder this season.

That has permitted him to contribute from midfield and could position him as the central midfielder, alongside a holding midfielder.

This would then allow Bellingham to play as the creative force and Kane as the center forward.

Irrespective of whether Tuchel chooses to configure the team like this at the World Cup, what seems encouraging is his willingness to leave big players out in the pursuit of tactical equilibrium.