🔗 Share this article Three Lions' top talents can't fit in the same lineup - what's the verdict? Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham and Phil Foden have been key players for England over the recent half-decade Having secured six victories from six matches, no goals conceded and a World Cup spot assured before the final rounds, Three Lions boss Thomas Tuchel can argue he has made the right selection choices. Nevertheless, in the build-up to Thursday's home game against Serbia, he sparked a debate when he stated that three of the country's best players - Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden and Harry Kane - cannot play in the identical lineup. "Currently, if we stick with the system, they cannot play. "They can but not within this system, not for the balance that we developed and not in this formation that comes also with wingers who are highly specialized in their positions. We currently utilize with defensive, central, attacking midfielders and striker." From guaranteed positions to competitive roles The Manchester City and Real Madrid stars have been utilized out wide for England in the past, but Tuchel's selections suggest that Marcus Rashford and the Gunners' star are his primary selections on the wing positions respectively. The question remains whether Bellingham, Foden and Kane play together? Former Three Lions boss certainly thought so. Bellingham, Foden and Kane were selected for each England's seven fixtures at Euro 2024 in Germany, where the England team were defeated by Spain in the final. In the 16 fixtures the three have featured together, England have triumphed 10 times, tied three matches and lost three, scoring 36 times and allowing 14 goals. Analysis: Foden's versatility gives Tuchel options Tuchel has utilized a 4-2-3-1 formation that changes shape when England attack. The Aston Villa player has been the main number 10 because of his impressive ball progression, ball-striking and capacity to penetrate the area when the forward retreats. Tuchel has discussed favoring dedicated wide players. The wide attackers consistently operate in wide areas and can maintain possession effectively, take their full-back on, and enter the area to finish. Behind this front four, Tuchel utilizes two central midfielders consisting of a disciplined defensive presence and one with more license to support offensive play. What solutions exist for the trio? Foden and Bellingham would be vying against attacking alternatives for the creative hub, with Kane likely to start up front. Foden could feature as the central striker, which theoretically could permit both Bellingham and Foden to operate without the captain. There is an alternative approach all three could feature together 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 box-to-box player," he said. Foden has been deployed in a versatile central position this season. That has allowed him to take responsibility deeper and could position him as the number eight, next to a more defensive number six. This would then enable Bellingham to operate as the number 10 and Kane as the nine. No matter whether Tuchel chooses to configure the team like this at the international competition, what bodes well is his readiness to exclude star names in the pursuit of tactical equilibrium.