Three Lions' top talents can't fit in the same lineup - does the manager have a point?
Having secured six victories in six games, no goals conceded and tournament placement confirmed with matches remaining, national team coach Thomas Tuchel can argue he has got all of his big qualifying decisions correct.
Yet, in the lead-up to Thursday's Wembley encounter against Serbia, he raised questions 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 are unable to feature.
"They can but not with current tactics, not for the balance that we established and not for the structure that comes also with wingers who are like specialists in their positions. We play at the moment with defensive, central, attacking midfielders and striker."
From guaranteed positions to competitive roles
The Manchester City and Real Madrid stars have been used in wide positions for England in the past, but the manager's choices indicate that the Manchester United forward and Arsenal's winger are his first choices on the left and right flank respectively.
But can Bellingham, Foden and Kane coexist in the lineup?
Former Three Lions boss apparently believed they could.
Bellingham, Foden and Kane started all of England's seven matches at Euro 2024 in Germany, where the England team lost to Spain in the final.
In the 16 games the trio have played alongside each other, England have triumphed 10 times, tied three matches and been defeated three times, registering 36 scores and conceding 14.
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 excellent dribbling, strike quality and capacity to penetrate the area when the striker drops deep.
Tuchel has spoken about preferring natural flank operators. The wide attackers regularly feature on the wings and can maintain possession effectively, challenge defenders, and enter the area to finish.
Supporting the attacking quartet, Tuchel utilizes two central midfielders consisting of a holding midfielder and another with greater freedom to contribute to the attack.
What solutions exist for the trio?
Foden and Bellingham would be battling with other creative midfielders for the number 10 role, with Kane likely to start up front.
Foden could operate as the central striker, which potentially could enable both Bellingham and Foden to feature instead of Kane.
There is an alternative approach all three could play in this system and Tuchel alluded to it this week.
"With his club, he plays almost like a box-to-box or creative role, so potentially in future we consider him as a number eight," he said.
Foden has been deployed in a versatile central position this season.
That has enabled him to operate from deeper areas and could position him as the number eight, alongside a holding midfielder.
This would then permit Bellingham to feature as the creative force and Kane as the striker.
Regardless of if Tuchel decides to set England up like this at the international competition, what bodes well is his preparedness to omit established stars in the pursuit of tactical equilibrium.
