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Having secured six victories in six games, zero goals allowed and tournament placement confirmed with matches remaining, England manager Thomas Tuchel could suggest he has made the right selection choices.

Nevertheless, in the preparation for Thursday's home game against Serbia, he raised questions when he stated that three of the England's elite footballers - Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden and Harry Kane - cannot play in the identical lineup.

"Currently, if we keep the structure, they cannot play.

"They can but not within this system, not for the balance that we developed and not in this formation that comes also with wingers who are highly specialized in their positions. We currently utilize with specific numbered positions."

From guaranteed positions to competitive roles

Foden and Bellingham have been deployed on the flanks for England in the past, but his team selections imply that the Manchester United forward and Arsenal's winger are his primary selections on the left and right flank respectively.

So can Bellingham, Foden and Kane coexist in the lineup?

Gareth Southgate apparently believed they could.

Bellingham, Foden and Kane started all of England's seven matches at Euro 2024 in Germany, where the national squad were defeated by Spain in the final.

In the 16 games the three have featured alongside each other, England have triumphed 10 times, shared points three times and lost three, netting 36 goals and conceding 14.

Tactical insight: Foden's flexibility provides alternatives

Tuchel has utilized a 4-2-3-1 formation that alters structure when England attack.

The young midfielder has been the main number 10 because of his excellent dribbling, shooting ability and ability to attack the box when the striker drops deep.

Tuchel has spoken about preferring natural flank operators. The wide attackers play out wide weekly and can retain the ball skillfully, challenge defenders, and arrive in the box to score.

Supporting the attacking quartet, Tuchel plays with a midfield two consisting of one defensively strict player and a partner with attacking liberty to support offensive play.

What solutions exist for the trio?

Foden and Bellingham would be competing with attacking alternatives for the attacking midfield position, with Kane likely to start up front.

Foden could operate as the central striker, which in theory could enable both Bellingham and Foden to operate without the captain.

There is a potential solution all three could play in this system and Tuchel alluded to it this week.

"At Manchester City, he functions as a box-to-box or creative role, so maybe during the next months we view him as a central midfielder," he said.

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

That has allowed him to take responsibility deeper and could position him as the central midfielder, next to a more defensive number six.

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

Regardless of if Tuchel chooses to configure the team like this at the World Cup, what appears positive is his readiness to exclude star names in the pursuit of tactical equilibrium.