England: Jude Bellingham, Harry Kane and Phil Foden cannot start in same XI says boss Thomas Tuchel

Under Tuchel, England have played a 4-3-3 system with wingers on each side of striker Kane.

Arsenal forward Bukayo Saka is the first choice to play on the right, with either Newcastle’s Anthony Gordon or Barcelona’s Marcus Rashford on the left.

It means there will be fierce competition for who plays behind Kane in the number 10 role, with a high-profile name potentially missing out on the World Cup squad.

Tuchel mentioned Bellingham, Rogers and Foden as options at number 10, as well as Chelsea’s Cole Palmer, who currently has a groin injury, and Nottingham Forest’s Morgan Gibbs-White, who was left out of the latest squad. Arsenal’s Eberechi Eze is another candidate in the current squad.

The German said it was very unlikely he would select five number 10s in his World Cup squad, adding: “I don’t see how this will help us.”

He said anyone missing out will not be “because they don’t individually deserve it” but because he 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,” he added.

“We take tough decisions in any camp, and this will not change when we go to a tournament.”

Tuchel did add he saw Foden as playing as a hybrid between an eight and a number 10 for City and so “maybe during the next months” he could be considered to play in a midfield role.

England qualified for the 2026 World Cup in the USA, Canada and Mexico with two games to spare.

They host Serbia at Wembley on Thursday before a trip to Albania on Sunday.

Rogers has impressed under Tuchel, starting five and featuring in all eight of the games the German has managed – though a hamstring niggle could give Bellingham the opportunity to start against Serbia.