đź”— Share this article Three Lions' top talents struggle to play together - is Tuchel right? Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham and Phil Foden have been key players for England over the recent half-decade With six wins in six games, an unbreached defense and World Cup qualification secured with two group games to spare, national team coach Thomas Tuchel can argue he has chosen wisely throughout qualification. Yet, in the build-up to Thursday's domestic match against Serbia, he initiated discussion when he claimed that three of the country's best players - 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. "It's possible but not in the structure, 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 a six, eight, a 10 and a nine." From certain starters to fighting for spots Foden and Bellingham have been deployed on the flanks for England in the past, but Tuchel's selections indicate that Marcus Rashford and Arsenal's winger are his primary selections on the wide areas respectively. So can Bellingham, Foden and Kane coexist in the lineup? Former Three Lions boss certainly thought so. Bellingham, Foden and Kane started all of England's seven matches at Euro 2024 in Germany, where the national squad lost to Spain in the final. In the 16 matches the trio have played alongside each other, England have triumphed 10 times, drawn three and suffered three losses, scoring 36 times and conceding 14. Strategic view: Versatile Foden offers solutions Tuchel has played a 4-2-3-1 system that transforms formation when England attack. The young midfielder has been the primary attacking midfielder because of his strong ball-carrying, shooting ability and capacity to penetrate the area when the striker drops deep. Tuchel has spoken about preferring natural flank operators. Saka and Gordon consistently operate in wide areas and can hold the ball well, engage in one-on-one situations, and appear in scoring positions. Behind this front four, Tuchel employs a double pivot consisting of a disciplined defensive presence and another with greater freedom to contribute to the attack. So how could Tuchel use these three players? Foden and Bellingham would be competing with Cole Palmer, Morgan Rogers and Eberechi Eze for the creative hub, with Kane probably featuring up front. Foden could play as the main forward, which theoretically could permit both Bellingham and Foden to operate without the captain. There is a potential solution all three could coexist effectively and Tuchel hinted at it this week. "For Man City, he operates similarly to a central or attacking midfielder, so perhaps in coming months 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 central midfielder, alongside a holding midfielder. This would then allow Bellingham to play as the attacking midfielder and Kane as the striker. Regardless of if Tuchel decides to set England up like this at the global tournament, what seems encouraging is his readiness to exclude star names in the pursuit of tactical equilibrium.