🔗 Share this article

With six wins out of six, zero goals allowed and tournament placement assured before the final rounds, national team coach Thomas Tuchel could suggest he has chosen wisely throughout qualification.

Nevertheless, in the preparation for Thursday's Wembley encounter against Serbia, he raised questions when he said that three of the England's elite footballers - Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden and Harry Kane - struggle to perform in the identical lineup.

"Currently, if we keep the structure, they are unable to feature.

"It's possible but not in the structure, not for the balance that we established and not in this formation that also includes wingers who are highly specialized in their positions. We presently employ with defensive, central, attacking midfielders and striker."

From guaranteed positions to competitive roles

Foden and Bellingham have been used in wide positions for England in the past, but the manager's choices imply that the Barcelona loanee and Arsenal's winger are his preferred options on the left and right flank respectively.

But can Bellingham, Foden and Kane operate simultaneously?

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 England team fell to the Spanish in the final.

In the 16 games the trio have played together, England have secured 10 victories, drawn three and been defeated three times, scoring 36 times and allowing 14 goals.

Strategic view: Versatile Foden offers solutions

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

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

Tuchel has spoken about preferring dedicated wide players. The Arsenal and Newcastle stars consistently operate in wide areas and can maintain possession effectively, engage in one-on-one situations, and appear in scoring positions.

Supporting the attacking quartet, Tuchel plays with a midfield two consisting of one defensively strict player and a partner with attacking liberty to join the forward movement.

Potential configurations for England's stars

Foden and Bellingham would be competing with attacking alternatives for the attacking midfield position, with Kane probably featuring up front.

Foden could play as the main forward, which theoretically could allow both Bellingham and Foden to operate without the captain.

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

"At Manchester City, he operates similarly to a central or attacking midfielder, so potentially in future we consider him as a box-to-box player," he said.

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

That has permitted him to contribute from midfield and could categorize him as the number eight, paired with a defensive anchor.

This would then permit Bellingham to feature as the number 10 and Kane as the center forward.

No matter whether Tuchel chooses to configure the team like this at the World Cup, what seems encouraging is his readiness to exclude star names in the pursuit of tactical equilibrium.