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With six wins in six games, zero goals allowed and tournament placement secured with two group games to spare, England manager Thomas Tuchel might claim he has got all of his big qualifying decisions correct.

However, 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 - cannot play in the identical lineup.

"At the moment, if we stick with the system, they cannot play.

"They can but not in the structure, not maintaining equilibrium that we established and not within the framework that incorporates wingers who are essentially experts in their positions. We play at the moment with specific numbered positions."

From automatic picks to contested places

The Manchester City and Real Madrid stars have been deployed on the flanks for England in the past, but his team selections imply that the Manchester United forward and Bukayo Saka are his first choices on the wide areas respectively.

So can Bellingham, Foden and Kane coexist in the lineup?

Gareth Southgate apparently believed they could.

Bellingham, Foden and Kane were selected for each England's seven matches at Euro 2024 in Germany, where the national squad were defeated by Spain in the final.

In the 16 fixtures the three have featured simultaneously, England have won 10, tied three matches and been defeated three times, netting 36 goals and conceding 14.

Tactical insight: Foden's flexibility provides alternatives

Tuchel has employed a four-two-three-one setup that changes shape when England attack.

Morgan Rogers has been the key creative force because of his strong ball-carrying, ball-striking and capacity to penetrate the area when the number nine withdraws.

Tuchel has discussed favoring specialist wingers. Saka and Gordon regularly feature on the wings and can hold the ball well, challenge defenders, and appear in scoring positions.

Behind this front four, Tuchel utilizes two central midfielders consisting of one defensively strict player and another with greater freedom 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 creative hub, with Kane likely to start up front.

Foden could operate as the central striker, which theoretically could permit both Bellingham and Foden to play at Kane's expense.

There is an alternative approach all three could coexist effectively and Tuchel hinted at it this week.

"With his club, he plays almost like a central or attacking midfielder, so maybe during the next months we regard him as a central midfielder," he said.

Foden has been utilized as a flexible midfielder this season.

That has permitted him to contribute from midfield and could position him as the central midfielder, alongside a holding midfielder.

This would then permit Bellingham to feature as the number 10 and Kane as the striker.

No matter whether Tuchel chooses to configure the team like this at the World Cup, what seems encouraging is his readiness to exclude star names in the interest of team harmony.