Kane, Bellingham and Foden are unable to fit in the same lineup - does the manager have a point?

England football stars
Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham and Phil Foden have been essential components for England over the recent half-decade

With six wins out of six, an unbreached defense and World Cup qualification confirmed with matches remaining, Three Lions boss Thomas Tuchel might claim he has made the right selection choices.

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

"Currently, if we stick with the system, they cannot play.
"They can but not within this system, not maintaining equilibrium that we created and not in this formation that incorporates wingers who are essentially experts in their positions. We presently employ with defensive, central, attacking midfielders and striker."

From certain starters to fighting for spots

The Manchester City and Real Madrid stars have been deployed on the flanks for England in the past, but Tuchel's selections indicate that the Manchester United forward and Arsenal's winger are his preferred options on the wide areas respectively.

The question remains whether Bellingham, Foden and Kane coexist in the lineup?

The previous England manager certainly thought so.

Bellingham, Foden and Kane featured in every England's seven fixtures at the European Championship in Germany, where the national squad lost to Spain in the final.

In the 16 games the trio have played alongside each other, England have triumphed 10 times, drawn three and suffered three losses, netting 36 goals and conceding 14.

Tactical insight: Foden's flexibility provides alternatives

Tuchel has utilized a 4-2-3-1 formation that changes shape when England attack.

Morgan Rogers has been the primary attacking midfielder because of his excellent dribbling, strike quality and skill in entering the penalty area when the striker drops deep.

Tuchel has mentioned preferring dedicated wide players. The wide attackers regularly feature on the wings and can hold the ball well, engage in one-on-one situations, and appear in scoring positions.

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

Potential configurations for England's stars

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

Foden could play as the number nine, which potentially could permit both Bellingham and Foden to feature instead of Kane.

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

"For Man City, he operates similarly to a number eight or 10, so potentially in future 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 permitted him to contribute from midfield and could make him an option as the advanced playmaker, paired with a defensive anchor.

This would then enable Bellingham to operate as the number 10 and Kane as the nine.

Irrespective of whether Tuchel opts to structure the side like this at the World Cup, what seems encouraging is his willingness to leave big players out in the name of balance.

Anna Turner
Anna Turner

A digital strategist with over a decade of experience in tech marketing and content creation across European markets.