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After achieving six consecutive triumphs from six matches, no goals conceded and World Cup qualification secured with two group games to spare, Three Lions boss Thomas Tuchel could suggest he has made the right selection choices.

Yet, in the preparation for Thursday's home game against Serbia, he sparked a debate when he said that three of the nation's top talents - Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden and Harry Kane - are unable to feature in the equivalent formation.

"Presently, if we stick with the system, they won't fit together.

"They might but not in the structure, not preserving harmony that we developed and not for the structure that comes also with wingers who are like specialists in their positions. We play at the moment with a six, eight, a 10 and a nine."

From certain starters to fighting for spots

Foden and Bellingham have been used in wide positions for England in the past, but Tuchel's selections suggest that Marcus Rashford and Arsenal's winger are his primary selections on the wide areas respectively.

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

The previous England manager evidently thought it possible.

Bellingham, Foden and Kane started all of England's seven games at last summer's tournament in Germany, where Southgate's side fell to the Spanish in the final.

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

Strategic view: Versatile Foden offers solutions

Tuchel has utilized a 4-2-3-1 formation that changes shape when England attack.

The young midfielder has been the primary attacking midfielder because of his strong ball-carrying, strike quality and capacity to penetrate the area when the number nine withdraws.

Tuchel has spoken about preferring natural flank operators. The wide attackers consistently operate in wide areas and can hold the ball well, take their full-back on, and arrive in the box to score.

In midfield behind the attackers, Tuchel utilizes two central midfielders consisting of one defensively strict player and one with more license 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 number 10 role, with Kane likely to start up front.

Foden could feature as the main forward, which potentially could permit both Bellingham and Foden to operate without the captain.

There is a potential solution all three could feature together and Tuchel alluded to it this week.

"For Man City, he functions as a box-to-box or creative role, so perhaps in coming months we regard him as a central midfielder," 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 make him an option as the advanced playmaker, next to a more defensive number six.

This would then allow Bellingham to play as the number 10 and Kane as the striker.

Irrespective of whether Tuchel opts to structure the side like this at the global tournament, what seems encouraging is his readiness to exclude star names in the pursuit of tactical equilibrium.