England's star trio are unable to operate simultaneously - is Tuchel right?
Having secured six victories out of six, an unbreached defense and World Cup qualification assured before the final rounds, national team coach Thomas Tuchel could suggest he has got all of his big qualifying decisions correct.
Yet, in the build-up to Thursday's home game against Serbia, he sparked a debate when he stated that three of the nation's top talents - Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden and Harry Kane - struggle to perform in the same team.
"At the moment, if we stick with the system, they won't fit together.
"They might but not in the structure, not maintaining equilibrium that we developed and not for the structure that also includes wingers who are essentially experts in their positions. We currently utilize with specific numbered positions."
From automatic picks to contested places
England's creative talents have been utilized out wide for England in the past, but the manager's choices suggest that the Manchester United forward and Bukayo Saka are his primary selections on the wing positions respectively.
But can Bellingham, Foden and Kane operate simultaneously?
Former Three Lions boss apparently believed they could.
Bellingham, Foden and Kane were selected for each England's seven fixtures at last summer's tournament in Germany, where the national squad lost to Spain in the final.
In the 16 matches the three have featured together, England have triumphed 10 times, shared points three times and suffered three losses, registering 36 scores and conceding 14.
Analysis: Foden's versatility gives Tuchel options
Tuchel has utilized a 4-2-3-1 formation that transforms formation when England attack.
The young midfielder has been the key creative force because of his excellent dribbling, shooting ability and capacity to penetrate the area when the forward retreats.
Tuchel has mentioned preferring dedicated wide players. The Arsenal and Newcastle stars consistently operate in wide areas and can maintain possession effectively, engage in one-on-one situations, and appear in scoring positions.
In midfield behind the attackers, Tuchel utilizes two central midfielders consisting of a disciplined defensive presence and one with more license 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 attacking midfield position, with Kane likely to start up front.
Foden could play as the main forward, which potentially 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 alluded to it this week.
"For Man City, he operates similarly to a box-to-box or creative role, so maybe during the next months we view him as a number eight," 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 advanced playmaker, paired with a defensive anchor.
This would then allow Bellingham to play as the number 10 and Kane as the nine.
No matter whether Tuchel decides to set England up like this at the global tournament, what bodes well is his preparedness to omit established stars in the pursuit of tactical equilibrium.
