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Having secured six victories out of six, an unbreached defense and World Cup qualification secured with two group games to spare, England manager Thomas Tuchel can argue he has made the right selection choices.

Nevertheless, in the preparation for Thursday's domestic match against Serbia, he raised questions when he stated 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 won't fit together.

"They might but not within this system, not for the balance that we created and not within the framework that also includes wingers who are essentially experts in their positions. We play at the moment with a six, eight, a 10 and a nine."

From automatic picks to contested places

England's creative talents have been used in wide positions for England in the past, but Tuchel's selections indicate that the Barcelona loanee and Bukayo Saka are his preferred options on the wing positions respectively.

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

The previous England manager certainly thought so.

Bellingham, Foden and Kane featured in every England's seven matches at the European Championship in Germany, where Southgate's side lost to Spain in the final.

In the 16 games the trio have played alongside each other, England have triumphed 10 times, shared points three times and been defeated three times, registering 36 scores and allowing 14 goals.

Tactical insight: Foden's flexibility provides alternatives

Tuchel has played a 4-2-3-1 system that transforms formation when England attack.

The Aston Villa player has been the primary attacking midfielder because of his strong ball-carrying, strike quality and skill in entering the penalty area when the number nine withdraws.

Tuchel has spoken about preferring dedicated wide players. The Arsenal and Newcastle stars consistently operate in wide areas and can hold the ball well, challenge defenders, and enter the area to finish.

Behind this front four, Tuchel employs a double pivot consisting of a holding midfielder and another with greater freedom to contribute to the attack.

So how could Tuchel use these three players?

Foden and Bellingham would be vying against other creative midfielders for the creative hub, with Kane likely to start up front.

Foden could operate as the number nine, which theoretically could allow both Bellingham and Foden to operate without the captain.

There is an alternative approach all three could feature together and Tuchel hinted at it this week.

"With his club, he operates similarly to a central or attacking midfielder, so perhaps in coming months we consider him as a central midfielder," he said.

Foden has been deployed in a versatile central position this season.

That has allowed him to take responsibility deeper and could categorize him as the advanced playmaker, paired with a defensive anchor.

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 international competition, what seems encouraging is his preparedness to omit established stars in the interest of team harmony.