England's star trio are unable to play together - does the manager have a point?
After achieving six consecutive triumphs out of six, zero goals allowed and tournament placement confirmed with matches remaining, national team coach Thomas Tuchel might claim he has chosen wisely throughout qualification.
Yet, in the lead-up to Thursday's home game against Serbia, he raised questions when he claimed that three of the nation's top talents - Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden and Harry Kane - cannot play in the same team.
"At the moment, if we maintain the formation, they cannot play.
"They can but not with current tactics, not maintaining equilibrium that we developed and not within the framework that comes also with wingers who are highly specialized in their positions. We play at the moment with a six, eight, a 10 and a nine."
From guaranteed positions to competitive roles
The Manchester City and Real Madrid stars have been utilized out wide for England in the past, but the manager's choices imply that the Manchester United forward and the Gunners' star are his first choices on the wing positions respectively.
The question remains whether Bellingham, Foden and Kane coexist in the lineup?
The previous England manager apparently believed they could.
Bellingham, Foden and Kane started all of England's seven matches at Euro 2024 in Germany, where the England team were defeated by Spain in the final.
In the 16 games the three have featured alongside each other, England have secured 10 victories, shared points three times 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 alters structure when England attack.
The young midfielder has been the primary attacking midfielder because of his impressive ball progression, shooting ability and skill in entering the penalty area when the striker drops deep.
Tuchel has mentioned preferring specialist wingers. The wide attackers regularly feature on the wings and can retain the ball skillfully, engage in one-on-one situations, and appear in scoring positions.
In midfield behind the attackers, Tuchel employs a double pivot consisting of a disciplined defensive presence and a partner with attacking liberty to join the forward movement.
What solutions exist for the trio?
Foden and Bellingham would be vying against Cole Palmer, Morgan Rogers and Eberechi Eze for the number 10 role, with Kane expected to lead up front.
Foden could play as the number nine, which potentially could permit both Bellingham and Foden to feature instead of Kane.
There is one way all three could play in this system and Tuchel suggested it this week.
"At Manchester City, he operates similarly to a central or attacking midfielder, so perhaps in coming months we view him as a central midfielder," 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 central midfielder, next to a more defensive number six.
This would then enable Bellingham to operate as the number 10 and Kane as the center forward.
Irrespective of whether Tuchel opts to structure the side like this at the World Cup, what appears positive is his preparedness to omit established stars in the name of balance.
