Kane, Bellingham and Foden can't fit in the same lineup - does the manager have a point?

After achieving six consecutive triumphs out of six, an unbreached defense and tournament placement secured with two group games to spare, national team coach Thomas Tuchel might claim he has chosen wisely throughout qualification.

Nevertheless, in the build-up to Thursday's home game against Serbia, he sparked a debate 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.

"It's possible but not within this system, not preserving harmony that we developed and not in this formation that comes also with wingers who are essentially experts in their positions. We currently utilize with defensive, central, attacking midfielders and striker."

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 indicate that the Manchester United forward and Bukayo Saka are his primary selections on the wide areas 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 national squad lost to Spain in the final.

In the 16 fixtures the three have featured alongside each other, England have won 10, tied three matches and suffered three losses, scoring 36 times and allowing 14 goals.

Strategic view: Versatile Foden offers solutions

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

Morgan Rogers has been the main number 10 because of his impressive ball progression, ball-striking and ability to attack the box when the striker drops deep.

Tuchel has discussed favoring dedicated wide players. The wide attackers consistently operate in wide areas and can hold the ball well, challenge defenders, and appear in scoring positions.

In midfield behind the attackers, Tuchel utilizes two central midfielders consisting of a disciplined defensive presence and one with more license to join the forward movement.

Potential configurations for England's stars

Foden and Bellingham would be competing with other creative midfielders for the creative hub, with Kane expected to lead up front.

Foden could operate as the main forward, which in theory could allow both Bellingham and Foden to play at Kane's expense.

There is a potential solution all three could coexist effectively and Tuchel suggested it this week.

"At Manchester City, he functions as a central or attacking midfielder, 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 enabled him to operate from deeper areas and could categorize him as the number eight, next to a more defensive number six.

This would then permit Bellingham to feature as the creative force and Kane as the nine.

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