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Having secured six victories out of six, zero goals allowed and World Cup qualification assured before the final rounds, England manager Thomas Tuchel might claim he has chosen wisely throughout qualification.

However, in the build-up to Thursday's home game against Serbia, he sparked a debate when he claimed that three of the England's elite footballers - Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden and Harry Kane - struggle to perform in the identical lineup.

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

"They can but not in the structure, not preserving harmony that we developed and not for the structure that comes also with wingers who are essentially experts in their positions. We presently employ with specific numbered positions."

From certain starters to fighting for spots

The Manchester City and Real Madrid stars have been deployed on the flanks for England in the past, but his team selections imply that Marcus Rashford and the Gunners' star are his first choices on the wing positions respectively.

So can Bellingham, Foden and Kane operate simultaneously?

The previous England manager apparently believed they could.

Bellingham, Foden and Kane started all of England's seven games at last summer's tournament in Germany, where the national squad were defeated by Spain in the final.

In the 16 games the trio have played simultaneously, England have secured 10 victories, drawn three and lost three, netting 36 goals and conceding 14.

Strategic view: Versatile Foden offers solutions

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

The Aston Villa player has been the key creative force because of his excellent dribbling, shooting ability and skill in entering the penalty area when the striker drops deep.

Tuchel has discussed favoring dedicated wide players. The wide attackers consistently operate in wide areas and can maintain possession effectively, take their full-back on, and enter the area to finish.

Supporting the attacking quartet, Tuchel plays with a midfield two consisting of one defensively strict player and one with more license to join the forward movement.

So how could Tuchel use these three players?

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

Foden could play as the central striker, which theoretically could permit both Bellingham and Foden to operate without the captain.

There is a potential solution all three could coexist effectively and Tuchel suggested it this week.

"With his club, he operates similarly to a box-to-box or creative role, so maybe during the next 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 position him as the advanced playmaker, next to a more defensive number six.

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

Irrespective of whether Tuchel chooses to configure the team like this at the international competition, what bodes well is his readiness to exclude star names in the pursuit of tactical equilibrium.