Tuchel has outlined his desire to keep his players to their best positions
Jude Bellingham and Phil Foden are back with England this week
Jude Bellingham and Phil Foden are back with England this week (The FA via Getty Images)
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England boss Thomas Tuchel has ruled out playing Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham and Phil Foden in the same team under his current system.
Tuchel has brought Bellingham and Foden back into his squad for the upcoming games against Serbia and Albania. He earlier confirmed that Bellingham and Morgan Rogers are in direct competition for the No 10 position and last week described Foden as a “9 and a half-ish”, with captain Kane his No 9.
“At the moment, if we keep the structure, they cannot play,” Tuchel told TalkSport on Wednesday.
“They can, but not in the structure. Not for the balance that we developed, and not for structure that comes also with wingers who are like specialists in their positions. We play at the moment with a six, eight, a 10 and a nine.”
Tuchel has ruled out playing Foden on the wings, like Gareth Southampton attempted during Euro 2024 when Bellingham started behind Kane and with Foden on the left.
“Rather than finding a position for the best players to have them on the field, it is maybe better to put everyone in their best position and have a competition,” Tuchel said as he explained why he would not play Bellingham and Rogers in the same team.
“At the moment the competition is between the two of them. They are friends so it is a friendly competition. They don't have to be enemies and hate each other. They are respectful and they fight for the same position.
“Can they play together? Yes, but in a different structure and now is not the moment to change the structure.”