🔗 Share this article Three Lions' top talents can't fit in the same lineup - what's the verdict? Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham and Phil Foden have been crucial figures for England over the past five years Having secured six victories from six matches, zero goals allowed and a World Cup spot secured with two group games to spare, England manager Thomas Tuchel might claim he has got all of his big qualifying decisions correct. However, in the preparation for Thursday's Wembley encounter against Serbia, he raised questions when he claimed that three of the country's best players - Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden and Harry Kane - are unable to feature in the same team. "At the moment, if we keep the structure, they are unable to feature. "They can but not with current tactics, not for the balance that we created and not within the framework that incorporates wingers who are highly specialized in their positions. We presently employ with defensive, central, attacking midfielders and striker." From certain starters to fighting for spots The Manchester City and Real Madrid stars have been deployed on the flanks for England in the past, but the manager's choices imply that the Manchester United forward and Arsenal's winger are his preferred options on the wide areas respectively. So can Bellingham, Foden and Kane coexist in the lineup? Gareth Southgate apparently believed they could. Bellingham, Foden and Kane started all of England's seven games at the European Championship in Germany, where the England team lost to Spain in the final. In the 16 fixtures the three have featured simultaneously, England have secured 10 victories, shared points three times and been defeated three times, registering 36 scores and conceding 14. Strategic view: Versatile Foden offers solutions Tuchel has played a 4-2-3-1 system that changes shape when England attack. The Aston Villa player has been the key creative force because of his strong ball-carrying, strike quality and ability to attack the box when the striker drops deep. Tuchel has spoken about preferring specialist wingers. The Arsenal and Newcastle stars play out wide weekly and can hold the ball well, take their full-back on, and arrive in the box to score. In midfield behind the attackers, Tuchel utilizes two central midfielders consisting of a disciplined defensive presence and a partner with attacking liberty to contribute to the attack. What solutions exist for the trio? Foden and Bellingham would be battling with Cole Palmer, Morgan Rogers and Eberechi Eze for the number 10 role, with Kane expected to lead up front. Foden could operate as the main forward, which theoretically could enable both Bellingham and Foden to play at Kane's expense. There is a potential solution all three could coexist effectively and Tuchel hinted at it this week. "For Man City, he functions as a box-to-box or creative role, so potentially in future we view him as a central midfielder," he said. Foden has been used in a more all-purpose midfield role this season. That has allowed him to take responsibility deeper and could categorize him as the number eight, alongside a holding midfielder. This would then enable Bellingham to operate as the number 10 and Kane as the center forward. No matter whether Tuchel decides to set England up like this at the global tournament, what bodes well is his willingness to leave big players out in the interest of team harmony.