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Having secured six victories out of six, no goals conceded and World Cup qualification assured before the final rounds, England manager Thomas Tuchel might claim he has made the right selection choices.

However, in the preparation for 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 - cannot play in the equivalent formation.

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

"They can but not in the structure, not maintaining equilibrium that we created and not within the framework that comes also with wingers who are highly specialized in their positions. We currently utilize with a six, eight, a 10 and a nine."

From certain starters to fighting for spots

England's creative talents have been deployed on the flanks for England in the past, but the manager's choices imply that Marcus Rashford and Arsenal's winger are his primary selections on the left and right flank respectively.

So can Bellingham, Foden and Kane play together?

Gareth Southgate certainly thought so.

Bellingham, Foden and Kane started all of England's seven games at last summer's tournament in Germany, where Southgate's side were defeated by Spain in the final.

In the 16 fixtures the stars have performed alongside each other, England have won 10, shared points three times and been defeated three times, registering 36 scores and allowing 14 goals.

Analysis: Foden's versatility gives Tuchel options

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

The young midfielder has been the primary attacking midfielder because of his excellent dribbling, ball-striking and ability to attack the box when the number nine withdraws.

Tuchel has spoken about preferring specialist wingers. Saka and Gordon consistently operate in wide areas and can retain the ball skillfully, challenge defenders, and enter the area to finish.

In midfield behind the attackers, Tuchel employs a double pivot consisting of a holding midfielder and a partner with attacking liberty to join the forward movement.

What solutions exist for the trio?

Foden and Bellingham would be vying against attacking alternatives for the creative hub, with Kane probably featuring up front.

Foden could operate as the main forward, which in theory could permit both Bellingham and Foden to feature instead of Kane.

There is one way all three could feature together and Tuchel hinted at it this week.

"For Man City, he operates similarly to a number eight or 10, so maybe during the next months we consider him as a box-to-box player," he said.

Foden has been used in a more all-purpose midfield role this season.

That has enabled him to operate from deeper areas and could position him as the number eight, alongside a holding midfielder.

This would then permit Bellingham to feature as the number 10 and Kane as the striker.

No matter whether Tuchel opts to structure the side like this at the global tournament, what appears positive is his readiness to exclude star names in the pursuit of tactical equilibrium.