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With six wins in six games, zero goals allowed and a World Cup spot assured before the final rounds, Three Lions boss Thomas Tuchel might claim he has chosen wisely throughout qualification.

Yet, in the lead-up to Thursday's Wembley encounter against Serbia, he initiated discussion when he said that three of the England's elite footballers - Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden and Harry Kane - cannot play in the same team.

"At the moment, if we maintain the formation, they won't fit together.

"They might but not within this system, not preserving harmony that we created and not in this formation that also includes wingers who are essentially experts in their positions. We play at the moment with specific numbered positions."

From guaranteed positions to competitive roles

The Manchester City and Real Madrid stars have been deployed on the flanks for England in the past, but the manager's choices imply that Marcus Rashford and Bukayo Saka are his primary selections on the wide areas respectively.

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

Gareth Southgate apparently believed they could.

Bellingham, Foden and Kane featured in every England's seven games at last summer's tournament in Germany, where Southgate's side fell to the Spanish in the final.

In the 16 matches the trio have played together, England have triumphed 10 times, shared points three times and been defeated three times, netting 36 goals and letting in 14 strikes.

Tactical insight: Foden's flexibility provides alternatives

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

Morgan Rogers has been the key creative force because of his strong ball-carrying, strike quality and capacity to penetrate the area when the striker drops deep.

Tuchel has mentioned preferring dedicated wide players. The Arsenal and Newcastle stars play out wide weekly and can retain the ball skillfully, engage in one-on-one situations, and appear in scoring positions.

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

So how could Tuchel use these three players?

Foden and Bellingham would be vying against attacking alternatives for the creative hub, with Kane likely to start up front.

Foden could operate as the number nine, which in theory could allow both Bellingham and Foden to play at Kane's expense.

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

"With his club, he operates similarly to a box-to-box or creative role, so potentially in future we consider him as a number eight," he said.

Foden has been utilized as a flexible midfielder this season.

That has enabled him to operate from deeper areas and could categorize him as the central midfielder, paired with a defensive anchor.

This would then enable Bellingham to operate as the creative force and Kane as the center forward.

Regardless of if Tuchel chooses to configure the team like this at the World Cup, what appears positive is his preparedness to omit established stars in the name of balance.