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Having secured six victories in six games, an unbreached defense and a World Cup spot secured with two group games to spare, Three Lions boss Thomas Tuchel can argue he has made the right selection choices.

Yet, in the build-up to Thursday's home game against Serbia, he sparked a debate when he stated that three of the nation's top talents - Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden and Harry Kane - struggle to perform in the same team.

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

"They can but not with current tactics, not for the balance that we created and not in this formation 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 automatic picks to contested places

The Manchester City and Real Madrid stars have been utilized out wide for England in the past, but Tuchel's selections imply that the Manchester United forward and Bukayo Saka are his first choices on the left and right flank respectively.

The question remains whether Bellingham, Foden and Kane operate simultaneously?

Gareth Southgate certainly thought so.

Bellingham, Foden and Kane featured in every England's seven fixtures at the European Championship in Germany, where the national squad lost to Spain in the final.

In the 16 fixtures the stars have performed simultaneously, England have triumphed 10 times, drawn three and suffered three losses, registering 36 scores and letting in 14 strikes.

Strategic view: Versatile Foden offers solutions

Tuchel has played a 4-2-3-1 system that changes shape when England attack.

The Aston Villa player has been the main number 10 because of his impressive ball progression, strike quality and ability to attack the box when the number nine withdraws.

Tuchel has spoken about preferring dedicated wide players. The wide attackers play out wide weekly and can retain the ball skillfully, take their full-back on, and enter the area to finish.

Supporting the attacking quartet, Tuchel employs a double pivot consisting of one defensively strict player and another with greater freedom to join the forward movement.

What solutions exist for the trio?

Foden and Bellingham would be battling with Cole Palmer, Morgan Rogers and Eberechi Eze for the creative hub, with Kane likely to start up front.

Foden could play as the central striker, which potentially could allow both Bellingham and Foden to feature instead of Kane.

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

"For Man City, he operates similarly to a box-to-box or creative role, so perhaps in coming months we consider 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 make him an option as the advanced playmaker, alongside a holding midfielder.

This would then permit Bellingham to feature as the attacking midfielder and Kane as the center forward.

No matter whether Tuchel opts to structure the side like this at the global tournament, what bodes well is his readiness to exclude star names in the name of balance.