Manager Thomas Tuchel has said Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham and Phil Foden cannot play together in the same England team.
England’s head coach made the bombshell remarks to talkSPORT after telling a press conference that he would only select players in the best positions and would not change his formation or system just to put star players on the pitch.
Tuchel also said he had no intention of taking five No. 10 players to the World Cup. England have plenty of talent in that position, but it has been suggested they could make the tough decision to drop one or more of Bellingham, Morgan Rodgers, Foden, Cole Palmer and Ebereshi Eze.
Tuchel said of the trio of Kane, Bellingham and Foden: “If we continue with this structure at the moment, they won’t be able to play.”
“They can do it, but not structurally, not because of the balance that we have developed, and not in a structure with wingers who are specialists in that position.
“At the moment we are playing No. 6, No. 8, No. 10 and No. 9.
“There’s a lot of agreement, especially in the number 10 position. When you think about Phil being able to play there, you think about Jude and you think about Morgan Rodgers, who played great for us in that position. You have Cole Palmer, you have Morgan Gibbs-White, so there’s a lot of players and there’s a chance we might not get them all.”
“Not because we don’t like (them) or because they don’t deserve it personally, but we always do what’s best for the team.
“We always do what’s best for winning, we always do what’s best for balance, we always try to have clarity, even if it means we have to make tough decisions.
“We make tough decisions in every camp and that doesn’t change going into the tournament.”
Asked about Foden, Tuchel suggested the Manchester City star’s adaptability could be an advantage.
“If you’re a unique player, you can play both positions. I think he can play as a number nine and he can play as a number 10. That gives him an advantage to compete for both positions.”
“At Man City, he plays almost like a No. 8/10, so we will probably see him as a No. 8 for the next few months.
“But again, I think the odds of having five No. 10 players in the tournament are very slim. I don’t see how this will help.”
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Tuchel told a press conference on Wednesday that his best players must fight to play in their best positions and said he had no intention of changing England’s structure just to bring in star players.
Bellingham and Foden made headlines when they returned to the England squad for November’s World Cup qualifiers against Serbia and Albania, but they already face competition for game time from players who helped the Three Lions secure a place in next summer’s tournament.
Rodgers has been one of the players to have taken a chance in the absence of Bellingham and Foden, earning him the coveted number 10 spot in recent internationals.
At Tuchel’s press conference ahead of Thursday’s game against Serbia, he was asked if Rodgers and Bellingham could play in the same team.
“I don’t know. I think so, but obviously they are not in the same position,” Tuchel said.
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England manager Thomas Tuchel explains why he called up Jude Bellingham and Phil Foden to his squad for the World Cup qualifiers
“Rather than having the best players find their positions and put them on the field, it might be better to put everyone in their best positions and have them compete.
“At the moment the competition is between two people. They are friends so it could be a friendly competition. They don’t have to be enemies or hate each other. They are fighting for the same position at the moment.
“Will they be able to play together? Yes, but perhaps in a different structure, and now is not the moment to change our structure.”
England’s Jude Bellingham and Morgan Rogers
Tuchel said he was happy to have Bellingham and Foden back in the group after not being selected for their recent training camp, but said he hoped they would continue to contribute to the high-achieving team that has grown during their time away.
Bellingham had not played for England since June and Foden had not been selected since March. They rejoin a national team that has won the last four games without them by a combined score of 15-0.
“I hope they showed what they showed. They will be part of the group right away,” Tuchel said. “Why would that be awkward for them?
“We were pushing levels, pushing things without levels, and we would do it without other players. We have an obligation to drive our own campaigns, our own standards, and build what we can build.
“Now they’re back and it’s their responsibility to contribute to all of this and this is what they’re doing.
“It’s easy for them at the moment because the group is strong, the standards are clear and they can fit in smoothly. This is also important for a newcomer like Alex Scott.”
Tuchel: Guehi could play for England this week
Manager Thomas Tuchel says there are no plans to manage Elliott Anderson’s minutes, but Marc Guehi could feature for England against Albania on Sunday.
Guehi sustained a foot injury last week that left him unable to walk and forced him to miss Crystal Palace’s 0-0 draw with Brighton.
The centre-back remains on England duty and is now off crutches.
“In Marc’s case, it’s very painful, but there’s no structural damage. It’s all a question of pain,” Tuchel said.
“Depending on the day we could see a huge improvement. We are being realistic for the second leg.
“If he is not training on Friday and can train with us on Saturday, we will not have him travel with us and he can stay in London with rest and treatment.
“We’re happy that he wants to stay with us and we wanted him to be around. He’s one of the leaders, an important member of the team, a key glue between a lot of the players. It’s great to see him trying to do everything to get into the second leg.”
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Alan Pardew and the Transfer Show panel discuss Marc Guehi’s future amid speculation that the England defender could leave Crystal Palace in the January transfer window
Nottingham Forest midfielder Anderson played the full game in the 3-1 win over Leeds after being rested in last week’s Europa League game against Sturm Graz.
Coach Tuchel admitted that Anderson “doesn’t feel any pain” and emphasized his importance to the team.
“He is an important player for us at the moment,” Tuchel said. “He’s one of the best midfielders in the Premier League at the moment and that’s why he’s with us. He has to keep moving forward.
“He is a very complete and mobile central midfielder, but his career is still long, there is a long way to go, there are no guarantees and it is not publicly clear whether he will be able to play in the World Cup.
“Giving predictions and guarantees in November is useless. It’s about competition, it’s elite football. At the moment Elliott is an elite football player, playing his role in the best way possible and we are very happy with him.”
