England's star trio can't operate simultaneously - does the manager have a point?
With six wins out of six, an unbreached defense and World Cup qualification secured with two group games to spare, Three Lions boss Thomas Tuchel could suggest he has got all of his big qualifying decisions correct.
Nevertheless, in the build-up to Thursday's Wembley encounter 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 same team.
"Presently, if we keep the structure, they cannot play.
"They can but not with current tactics, not maintaining equilibrium that we developed and not in this formation that comes also with wingers who are like specialists in their positions. We currently utilize with specific numbered positions."
From certain starters to fighting for spots
The Manchester City and Real Madrid stars have been utilized out wide for England in the past, but the manager's choices suggest that the Manchester United forward and Arsenal's winger are his first choices on the left and right flank respectively.
The question remains whether Bellingham, Foden and Kane coexist in the lineup?
Gareth Southgate apparently believed they could.
Bellingham, Foden and Kane were selected for each England's seven matches at Euro 2024 in Germany, where the England team lost to Spain in the final.
In the 16 fixtures the three have featured alongside each other, England have triumphed 10 times, drawn three and suffered three losses, registering 36 scores and conceding 14.
Analysis: Foden's versatility gives Tuchel options
Tuchel has utilized a 4-2-3-1 formation that changes shape when England attack.
The young midfielder has been the primary attacking midfielder because of his excellent dribbling, shooting ability and skill in entering the penalty area when the number nine withdraws.
Tuchel has discussed favoring specialist wingers. The Arsenal and Newcastle stars play out wide weekly and can maintain possession effectively, engage in one-on-one situations, and arrive in the box to score.
Behind this front four, Tuchel plays with a midfield two consisting of one defensively strict player and another with greater freedom to support offensive play.
What solutions exist for the trio?
Foden and Bellingham would be vying against Cole Palmer, Morgan Rogers and Eberechi Eze for the creative hub, with Kane expected to lead up front.
Foden could operate as the main forward, which theoretically could allow both Bellingham and Foden to play at Kane's expense.
There is one way all three could coexist effectively and Tuchel alluded to it this week.
"At Manchester City, he plays almost like a number eight or 10, so maybe during the next months we regard him as a box-to-box player," he said.
Foden has been utilized as a flexible midfielder this season.
That has allowed him to take responsibility deeper and could categorize him as the central midfielder, alongside a holding midfielder.
This would then enable Bellingham to operate as the number 10 and Kane as the center forward.
Regardless of if Tuchel opts to structure the side like this at the international competition, what bodes well is his readiness to exclude star names in the name of balance.
