Thomas Tuchel has warned he is unlikely to take five No 10s to the World Cup and has said Phil Foden, Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane cannot start together unless England change their system.
The head coach is looking for the right tactical balance and is wary of cramming too many attackers into his lineup. His comments raise the prospect of at least one big-name player missing out on the tournament.
Tuchel has brought in a structured 4-3-3, with one No 10 behind Kane and pacy wingers supporting the captain, and has been clear about defined roles in the team. The German, whose side have qualified for the World Cup with two games to spare, does not regard Foden as a wide player.
Instead the Manchester City attacker is fighting with Bellingham and others for a central role. There is no desire on Tuchel’s part to cramp Kane’s style given the England captain is a striker who loves to drop back and create.
“At the moment, if we keep the structure, they cannot play,” Tuchel told TalkSport. “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 specialists in their positions. We play at the moment with a 6, 8, a 10 and a 9.”
Bellingham and Foden have returned to compete with Morgan Rogers and Eberechi Eze for Thursday’s qualifier at home to Serbia and Sunday’s in Albania, but there is additional competition from Cole Palmer and Morgan Gibbs-White. Palmer is out with a groin injury and Gibbs-White has not been selected.
Phil Foden is not regarded as a wide player by Thomas Tuchel. Photograph: Eddie Keogh/The FA/Getty Images
“There’s a lot of players and there’s the chance that we will not take everyone,” Tuchel said. “Not because we don’t like it, not because they don’t individually deserve it, but we will always do what’s best for the team, we will always do what’s best for winning.
“We will always do what’s best for balance and we will try to keep the clarity, even if it means that we have to take tough decisions. We take tough decisions in any camp, and this will not change when we go to a tournament.”
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It remains to be seen whether Bellingham starts instead of Rogers against Serbia. Foden will also hope for an opportunity. He has been described as a “9-and-a-half” by Tuchel and has also been talked about as a potential false 9. Tuchel was asked whether that left the 25-year-old under more pressure. “Yes and no,” he said. “If you’re a unique player, you can play both positions. I think he can play the 9, he can play the 10. It gives him, first of all, an advantage to compete for both positions.
“For Man City, he plays almost like an 8 so maybe during the next months we consider him as an 8. But I see a very, very low percentage that we take five No 10s in the No 10 position into a tournament. I don’t see how this will help us.”
Marc Guéhi missed training as he continues his recovery from a foot injury. Tuchel is expected to select what he considers his strongest available team, with Marcus Rashford in line to replaced the injured Anthony Gordon on the left.
