England's star trio are unable to play together - does the manager have a point?
Having secured six victories out of six, an unbreached defense and tournament placement assured before the final rounds, national team coach Thomas Tuchel might claim he has made the right selection choices.
Nevertheless, in the preparation for Thursday's domestic match against Serbia, he raised questions when he claimed that three of the country's best players - Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden and Harry Kane - struggle to perform in the equivalent formation.
"Currently, if we keep the structure, they cannot play.
"They might but not within this system, not preserving harmony that we established and not for the structure that also includes wingers who are highly specialized in their positions. We currently utilize with a six, eight, a 10 and a nine."
From certain starters to fighting for spots
Foden and Bellingham have been deployed on the flanks for England in the past, but Tuchel's selections indicate that Marcus Rashford and Arsenal's winger are his primary selections on the wing positions respectively.
The question remains whether Bellingham, Foden and Kane coexist in the lineup?
The previous England manager certainly thought so.
Bellingham, Foden and Kane started all of England's seven fixtures at last summer's tournament in Germany, where Southgate's side lost to Spain in the final.
In the 16 games the three have featured together, England have won 10, drawn three and been defeated three times, scoring 36 times and allowing 14 goals.
Strategic view: Versatile Foden offers solutions
Tuchel has utilized a 4-2-3-1 formation that transforms formation when England attack.
The young midfielder has been the primary attacking midfielder because of his impressive ball progression, strike quality and capacity to penetrate the area when the striker drops deep.
Tuchel has mentioned preferring dedicated wide players. Saka and Gordon regularly feature on the wings and can retain the ball skillfully, challenge defenders, and enter the area to finish.
Supporting the attacking quartet, Tuchel plays with a midfield two consisting of a holding midfielder and one with more license to support offensive play.
So how could Tuchel use these three players?
Foden and Bellingham would be competing with attacking alternatives for the creative hub, with Kane likely to start up front.
Foden could play as the central striker, which in theory could allow both Bellingham and Foden to play at Kane's expense.
There is an alternative approach all three could feature together and Tuchel hinted at it this week.
"For Man City, he functions as a number eight or 10, so perhaps in coming months we regard him as a box-to-box player," he said.
Foden has been deployed in a versatile central position this season.
That has permitted him to contribute from midfield and could position him as the advanced playmaker, paired with a defensive anchor.
This would then enable Bellingham to operate as the creative force and Kane as the striker.
Regardless of if Tuchel chooses to configure the team like this at the World Cup, what bodes well is his preparedness to omit established stars in the name of balance.
