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After achieving six consecutive triumphs in six games, no goals conceded and tournament placement confirmed with matches remaining, national team coach Thomas Tuchel can argue he has made the right selection choices.

Nevertheless, in the preparation for Thursday's home game against Serbia, he raised questions when he stated that three of the nation's top talents - Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden and Harry Kane - are unable to feature in the identical lineup.

"Presently, if we keep the structure, they are unable to feature.

"They can but not within this system, not maintaining equilibrium that we developed and not in this formation that also includes wingers who are like specialists in their positions. We presently employ with a six, eight, a 10 and a nine."

From certain starters to fighting for spots

Foden and Bellingham have been deployed on the flanks for England in the past, but Tuchel's selections indicate that the Manchester United forward and Bukayo Saka are his preferred options on the wide areas respectively.

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

Former Three Lions boss apparently believed they could.

Bellingham, Foden and Kane featured in every England's seven fixtures at the European Championship in Germany, where Southgate's side fell to the Spanish in the final.

In the 16 games the trio have played alongside each other, England have secured 10 victories, tied three matches and been defeated three times, registering 36 scores and letting in 14 strikes.

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, strike quality and capacity to penetrate the area when the number nine withdraws.

Tuchel has spoken about preferring natural flank operators. The Arsenal and Newcastle stars 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 utilizes two central midfielders consisting of a holding midfielder and one with more license to contribute to the attack.

So how could Tuchel use these three players?

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

Foden could feature as the number nine, which potentially could permit both Bellingham and Foden to play at Kane's expense.

There is an alternative approach all three could play in this system and Tuchel hinted at it this week.

"With his club, he plays almost like a central or attacking midfielder, so potentially in future we regard 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 make him an option as the advanced playmaker, paired with a defensive anchor.

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

Irrespective of whether Tuchel chooses to configure the team like this at the World Cup, what bodes well is his preparedness to omit established stars in the name of balance.