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With six wins from six matches, zero goals allowed and a World Cup spot assured before the final rounds, England manager Thomas Tuchel might claim he has chosen wisely throughout qualification.

Nevertheless, in the lead-up to Thursday's home game against Serbia, he sparked a debate when he stated that three of the England's elite footballers - Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden and Harry Kane - are unable to feature in the identical lineup.

"Currently, if we keep the structure, they won't fit together.

"They can but not within this system, not for the balance that we established and not in this formation that incorporates wingers who are like specialists in their positions. We currently utilize with defensive, central, attacking midfielders and striker."

From guaranteed positions to competitive roles

Foden and Bellingham have been utilized out wide for England in the past, but the manager's choices imply that Marcus Rashford and the Gunners' star are his first choices on the wide areas respectively.

But can Bellingham, Foden and Kane operate simultaneously?

The previous England manager apparently believed they could.

Bellingham, Foden and Kane featured in every England's seven matches at last summer's tournament in Germany, where Southgate's side fell to the Spanish in the final.

In the 16 fixtures the trio have played simultaneously, England have won 10, drawn three and suffered three losses, netting 36 goals and conceding 14.

Analysis: Foden's versatility gives Tuchel options

Tuchel has employed a four-two-three-one setup that changes shape when England attack.

Morgan Rogers has been the primary attacking midfielder because of his impressive ball progression, shooting ability and capacity to penetrate the area when the number nine withdraws.

Tuchel has spoken about preferring dedicated wide players. Saka and Gordon consistently operate in wide areas and can hold the ball well, engage in one-on-one situations, and appear in scoring positions.

Supporting the attacking quartet, Tuchel employs a double pivot consisting of a holding midfielder and a partner with attacking liberty to join the forward movement.

Potential configurations for England's stars

Foden and Bellingham would be battling with attacking alternatives for the number 10 role, with Kane probably featuring up front.

Foden could feature as the central striker, which potentially could allow both Bellingham and Foden to operate without the captain.

There is one way all three could play in this system and Tuchel hinted at it this week.

"At Manchester City, he operates similarly to a box-to-box or creative role, so potentially in future we regard him as a box-to-box player," he said.

Foden has been utilized as a flexible midfielder this season.

That has allowed him to take responsibility deeper and could make him an option as the number eight, next to a more defensive number six.

This would then enable Bellingham to operate as the number 10 and Kane as the striker.

Irrespective of whether Tuchel decides to set England up like this at the global tournament, what appears positive is his willingness to leave big players out in the interest of team harmony.