Three Lions' top talents struggle to fit in the same lineup - is Tuchel right?

Having secured six victories out of six, no goals conceded and tournament placement assured before the final rounds, national team coach 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 equivalent formation.

"Presently, if we keep the structure, they won't fit together.

"They can but not with current tactics, not for the balance that we developed and not in this formation that comes also with wingers who are essentially experts in their positions. We play at the moment with a six, eight, a 10 and a nine."

From automatic picks to contested places

The Manchester City and Real Madrid stars have been used in wide positions for England in the past, but his team selections indicate that the Barcelona loanee and Arsenal's winger are his preferred options on the wing positions respectively.

So can Bellingham, Foden and Kane coexist in the lineup?

The previous England manager evidently thought it possible.

Bellingham, Foden and Kane started all of England's seven fixtures at Euro 2024 in Germany, where Southgate's side fell to the Spanish in the final.

In the 16 matches the three have featured simultaneously, England have secured 10 victories, drawn three and suffered three losses, 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 alters structure when England attack.

Morgan Rogers has been the main number 10 because of his excellent dribbling, shooting ability and capacity to penetrate the area when the forward retreats.

Tuchel has mentioned preferring specialist wingers. Saka and Gordon consistently operate in wide areas 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 another with greater freedom to join the forward movement.

What solutions exist for the trio?

Foden and Bellingham would be battling with other creative midfielders for the creative hub, with Kane expected to lead up front.

Foden could feature as the central striker, which potentially could permit 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.

"At Manchester City, he operates similarly to a number eight or 10, so maybe during the next months we regard 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 central midfielder, alongside a holding midfielder.

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

No matter whether Tuchel decides to set England up like this at the international competition, what appears positive is his preparedness to omit established stars in the pursuit of tactical equilibrium.