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With six wins in six games, zero goals allowed and a World Cup spot assured before the final rounds, England manager Thomas Tuchel can argue he has got all of his big qualifying decisions correct.

Yet, in the build-up to Thursday's home game against Serbia, he raised questions when he claimed that three of the England's elite footballers - Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden and Harry Kane - are unable to feature in the identical lineup.

"Currently, if we keep the structure, they won't fit together.

"They can but not with current tactics, not for the balance that we created and not for the structure that incorporates wingers who are highly specialized in their positions. We play at the moment with defensive, central, attacking midfielders and striker."

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 imply that Marcus Rashford and the Gunners' star are his first choices on the wide areas respectively.

The question remains whether Bellingham, Foden and Kane coexist in the lineup?

Gareth Southgate certainly thought so.

Bellingham, Foden and Kane were selected for each England's seven matches at last summer's tournament in Germany, where the national squad were defeated by Spain in the final.

In the 16 fixtures the three have featured alongside each other, England have triumphed 10 times, shared points three times and suffered three losses, registering 36 scores and letting in 14 strikes.

Tactical insight: Foden's flexibility provides alternatives

Tuchel has played a 4-2-3-1 system that alters structure when England attack.

The young midfielder has been the key creative force because of his strong ball-carrying, shooting ability and ability to attack the box when the striker drops deep.

Tuchel has spoken about preferring specialist wingers. The wide attackers regularly feature on the wings and can retain the ball skillfully, take their full-back on, and appear in scoring positions.

Behind this front four, Tuchel utilizes two central midfielders consisting of a holding midfielder and a partner with attacking liberty to support offensive play.

So how could Tuchel use these three players?

Foden and Bellingham would be competing with other creative midfielders for the number 10 role, with Kane expected to lead up front.

Foden could operate as the main forward, which theoretically could allow both Bellingham and Foden to play at Kane's expense.

There is one way all three could play in this system and Tuchel suggested it this week.

"With his club, he operates similarly to a central or attacking midfielder, so maybe during the next months we view him as a box-to-box player," he said.

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

That has enabled him to operate from deeper areas and could position him as the number eight, next to a more defensive number six.

This would then enable Bellingham to operate as the number 10 and Kane as the center forward.

Regardless of if Tuchel chooses to configure the team like this at the international competition, what bodes well is his preparedness to omit established stars in the pursuit of tactical equilibrium.