🔗 Share this article Kane, Bellingham and Foden can't play together - what's the verdict? Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham and Phil Foden have been essential components for England over the recent half-decade With six wins from six matches, no goals conceded and a World Cup spot assured before the final rounds, England manager Thomas Tuchel can argue he has chosen wisely throughout qualification. Yet, in the preparation for 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 - are unable to feature in the same team. "Currently, if we keep the structure, they are unable to feature. "It's possible but not in the structure, not for the balance that we created and not for the structure that also includes wingers who are highly specialized in their positions. We presently employ with defensive, central, attacking midfielders and striker." From automatic picks to contested places England's creative talents have been deployed on the flanks for England in the past, but his team selections imply that Marcus Rashford and Arsenal's winger are his primary selections on the wide areas respectively. The question remains whether Bellingham, Foden and Kane coexist in the lineup? Gareth Southgate certainly thought so. Bellingham, Foden and Kane featured in every England's seven matches at last summer's tournament in Germany, where Southgate's side lost to Spain in the final. In the 16 games the trio have played together, England have won 10, drawn three and suffered three losses, scoring 36 times and conceding 14. Strategic view: Versatile Foden offers solutions Tuchel has utilized a 4-2-3-1 formation that changes shape when England attack. Morgan Rogers 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 spoken about preferring specialist wingers. The Arsenal and Newcastle stars play out wide weekly and can retain the ball skillfully, challenge defenders, and enter the area to finish. Behind this front four, Tuchel employs a double pivot consisting of a disciplined defensive presence and another with greater freedom to contribute to the attack. What solutions exist for the trio? Foden and Bellingham would be vying against attacking alternatives for the attacking midfield position, with Kane expected to lead up front. Foden could feature as the central striker, which in theory could permit both Bellingham and Foden to feature instead of Kane. There is an alternative approach all three could feature together and Tuchel hinted at it this week. "At Manchester City, he plays almost like a central or attacking midfielder, so perhaps in coming months we consider him as a box-to-box player," he said. Foden has been used in a more all-purpose midfield role this season. That has enabled him to operate from deeper areas and could categorize him as the central midfielder, alongside a holding midfielder. This would then enable Bellingham to operate as the number 10 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 preparedness to omit established stars in the pursuit of tactical equilibrium.