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After achieving six consecutive triumphs out of six, no goals conceded and a World Cup spot confirmed with matches remaining, national team coach Thomas Tuchel can argue he has made the right selection choices.

However, in the lead-up to Thursday's Wembley encounter against Serbia, he sparked a debate when he claimed that three of the country's best players - Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden and Harry Kane - cannot play in the equivalent formation.

"Presently, if we stick with the system, they are unable to feature.

"They can but not with current tactics, not for the balance that we created and not for the structure that comes also with wingers who are essentially experts in their positions. We play at the moment with specific numbered positions."

From certain starters to fighting for spots

England's creative talents have been utilized out wide for England in the past, but the manager's choices suggest that the Barcelona loanee and Arsenal's winger are his preferred options on the left and right flank respectively.

The question remains whether Bellingham, Foden and Kane play together?

The previous England manager apparently believed they could.

Bellingham, Foden and Kane featured in every England's seven fixtures at Euro 2024 in Germany, where the England team were defeated by Spain in the final.

In the 16 games the three have featured alongside each other, England have secured 10 victories, shared points three times and been defeated three times, scoring 36 times and allowing 14 goals.

Strategic view: Versatile Foden offers solutions

Tuchel has employed a four-two-three-one setup that alters structure when England attack.

Morgan Rogers has been the main number 10 because of his excellent dribbling, strike quality and ability to attack the box when the forward retreats.

Tuchel has mentioned preferring natural flank operators. The Arsenal and Newcastle stars regularly feature on the wings and can maintain possession effectively, take their full-back on, and arrive in the box to score.

Behind this front four, Tuchel employs a double pivot consisting of a disciplined defensive presence and another with greater freedom to support offensive play.

What solutions exist for the trio?

Foden and Bellingham would be competing with Cole Palmer, Morgan Rogers and Eberechi Eze for the creative hub, with Kane probably featuring up front.

Foden could feature as the main forward, which in theory could enable both Bellingham and Foden to play at Kane's expense.

There is one way all three could feature together and Tuchel alluded to it this week.

"For Man City, he operates similarly to a number eight or 10, so potentially in future 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 categorize him as the central midfielder, next to a more defensive number six.

This would then enable Bellingham to operate as the creative force and Kane as the nine.

No matter whether Tuchel chooses to configure the team like this at the global tournament, what seems encouraging is his preparedness to omit established stars in the name of balance.