Kane, Bellingham and Foden are unable to play together - does the manager have a point?
After achieving six consecutive triumphs out of six, no goals conceded and a World Cup spot secured with two group games to spare, Three Lions boss Thomas Tuchel can argue he has got all of his big qualifying decisions correct.
Nevertheless, in the build-up to Thursday's home game against Serbia, he initiated discussion when he said that three of the country's best players - Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden and Harry Kane - cannot play in the same team.
"At the moment, if we maintain the formation, they won't fit together.
"It's possible but not with current tactics, not maintaining equilibrium that we developed and not in this formation that comes also with wingers who are essentially experts in their positions. We currently utilize with a six, eight, a 10 and a nine."
From automatic picks to contested places
The Manchester City and Real Madrid stars have been utilized out wide for England in the past, but the manager's choices indicate that the Manchester United forward and Arsenal's winger are his first choices on the left and right flank respectively.
But can Bellingham, Foden and Kane coexist in the lineup?
Former Three Lions boss apparently believed they could.
Bellingham, Foden and Kane featured in every England's seven fixtures at Euro 2024 in Germany, where the England team lost to Spain in the final.
In the 16 matches the stars have performed simultaneously, England have won 10, drawn three and been defeated three times, scoring 36 times and letting in 14 strikes.
Tactical insight: Foden's flexibility provides alternatives
Tuchel has utilized a 4-2-3-1 formation that transforms formation when England attack.
Morgan Rogers has been the main number 10 because of his strong ball-carrying, ball-striking and capacity to penetrate the area when the number nine withdraws.
Tuchel has mentioned preferring specialist wingers. The Arsenal and Newcastle stars regularly feature on the wings and can retain the ball skillfully, engage in one-on-one situations, and enter the area to finish.
Behind this front four, Tuchel utilizes two central midfielders consisting of one defensively strict player and one with more license to join the forward movement.
Potential configurations for England's stars
Foden and Bellingham would be competing with attacking alternatives for the number 10 role, with Kane expected to lead up front.
Foden could play as the number nine, which potentially could enable both Bellingham and Foden to feature instead of Kane.
There is a potential solution all three could feature together and Tuchel suggested it this week.
"With his club, he functions as a box-to-box or creative role, so potentially in future we consider him as a central midfielder," he said.
Foden has been deployed in a versatile central position this season.
That has enabled him to operate from deeper areas and could make him an option 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 striker.
Regardless of if Tuchel opts to structure the side like this at the international competition, what bodes well is his willingness to leave big players out in the pursuit of tactical equilibrium.
