England's star trio are unable to play together - is Tuchel right?
With six wins in six games, an unbreached defense and tournament placement assured before the final rounds, Three Lions boss Thomas Tuchel can argue he has chosen wisely throughout qualification.
Yet, in the preparation for Thursday's domestic match against Serbia, he initiated discussion when he claimed that three of the England's elite footballers - Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden and Harry Kane - are unable to feature in the same team.
"At the moment, if we stick with the system, they are unable to feature.
"It's possible but not with current tactics, not maintaining equilibrium that we developed and not in this formation that incorporates wingers who are essentially experts in their positions. We play at the moment with specific numbered positions."
From automatic picks to contested places
The Manchester City and Real Madrid stars have been deployed on the flanks for England in the past, but Tuchel's selections indicate that the Barcelona loanee and the Gunners' star are his first choices on the wide areas respectively.
So can Bellingham, Foden and Kane play together?
The previous England manager apparently believed they could.
Bellingham, Foden and Kane featured in every England's seven fixtures at last summer's tournament in Germany, where Southgate's side fell to the Spanish in the final.
In the 16 fixtures the three have featured together, England have secured 10 victories, drawn three and been defeated three times, scoring 36 times and allowing 14 goals.
Tactical insight: Foden's flexibility provides alternatives
Tuchel has employed a four-two-three-one setup that changes shape when England attack.
The Aston Villa player has been the primary attacking midfielder because of his excellent dribbling, strike quality and ability to attack the box when the striker drops deep.
Tuchel has discussed favoring dedicated wide players. The wide attackers consistently operate in wide areas and can retain the ball skillfully, engage in one-on-one situations, and arrive in the box to score.
Behind this front four, Tuchel employs a double pivot consisting of a holding midfielder and one with more license to support offensive play.
What solutions exist for the trio?
Foden and Bellingham would be competing with other creative midfielders for the attacking midfield position, with Kane likely to start up front.
Foden could play as the central striker, which theoretically could allow both Bellingham and Foden to operate without the captain.
There is a potential solution all three could coexist effectively and Tuchel suggested it this week.
"For Man City, he functions as a number eight or 10, so maybe during the next months we regard him as a central midfielder," he said.
Foden has been utilized as a flexible midfielder this season.
That has permitted him to contribute from midfield and could make him an option as the advanced playmaker, alongside a holding midfielder.
This would then allow Bellingham to play as the attacking midfielder and Kane as the center forward.
Irrespective of whether Tuchel opts to structure the side like this at the global tournament, what bodes well is his willingness to leave big players out in the interest of team harmony.
