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Having secured six victories out of six, an unbreached defense and a World Cup spot assured before the final rounds, national team coach Thomas Tuchel could suggest he has made the right selection choices.

Nevertheless, in the lead-up to Thursday's domestic match against Serbia, he raised questions when he claimed that three of the England's elite footballers - Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden and Harry Kane - struggle to perform in the identical lineup.

"Presently, if we stick with the system, they cannot play.

"They can but not in the structure, not preserving harmony that we established and not in this formation that comes also with wingers who are like specialists in their positions. We presently employ with a six, eight, a 10 and a nine."

From automatic picks to contested places

Foden and Bellingham have been deployed on the flanks for England in the past, but his team selections imply that the Manchester United forward and the Gunners' star are his preferred options on the wide areas respectively.

The question remains whether Bellingham, Foden and Kane operate simultaneously?

The previous England manager certainly thought so.

Bellingham, Foden and Kane featured in every England's seven matches at Euro 2024 in Germany, where the England team lost to Spain in the final.

In the 16 fixtures the stars have performed simultaneously, England have triumphed 10 times, drawn three and suffered three losses, registering 36 scores and conceding 14.

Analysis: Foden's versatility gives Tuchel options

Tuchel has employed a four-two-three-one setup that changes shape when England attack.

Morgan Rogers has been the main number 10 because of his impressive ball progression, shooting ability and capacity to penetrate the area when the number nine withdraws.

Tuchel has mentioned preferring dedicated wide players. The wide attackers regularly feature on the wings and can hold the ball well, 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 a partner with attacking liberty to join the forward movement.

What solutions exist for the trio?

Foden and Bellingham would be competing with attacking alternatives for the attacking midfield position, with Kane expected to lead up front.

Foden could play as the main forward, which theoretically could permit both Bellingham and Foden to feature instead of Kane.

There is an alternative approach all three could play in this system and Tuchel suggested it this week.

"For Man City, he plays almost like a number eight or 10, so maybe during the next months we view him as a central midfielder," 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 central midfielder, paired with a defensive anchor.

This would then allow Bellingham to play as the creative force and Kane as the center forward.

Irrespective of whether Tuchel opts to structure the side like this at the global tournament, what appears positive is his readiness to exclude star names in the pursuit of tactical equilibrium.