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With six wins out of six, no goals conceded and a World Cup spot secured with two group games to spare, Three Lions boss Thomas Tuchel could suggest he has made the right selection choices.

Nevertheless, in the build-up to Thursday's home game against Serbia, he initiated discussion when he claimed that three of the England's elite footballers - Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden and Harry Kane - cannot play in the same team.

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

"They might but not in the structure, not preserving harmony that we established and not within the framework that comes also with wingers who are highly specialized in their positions. We currently utilize with specific numbered positions."

From guaranteed positions to competitive roles

Foden and Bellingham have been deployed on the flanks for England in the past, but the manager's choices indicate that the Barcelona loanee and the Gunners' star are his preferred options on the wide areas respectively.

So can Bellingham, Foden and Kane operate simultaneously?

The previous England manager certainly thought so.

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

In the 16 matches the stars have performed together, England have won 10, tied three matches and suffered three losses, registering 36 scores and letting in 14 strikes.

Tactical insight: Foden's flexibility provides alternatives

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

Morgan Rogers has been the main number 10 because of his strong ball-carrying, strike quality and skill in entering the penalty 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 hold the ball well, take their full-back on, and arrive in the box to score.

Supporting the attacking quartet, Tuchel plays with a midfield two consisting of a holding midfielder and a partner with attacking liberty to join the forward movement.

Potential configurations for England's stars

Foden and Bellingham would be battling with attacking alternatives for the number 10 role, with Kane probably featuring up front.

Foden could operate as the number nine, which theoretically could permit both Bellingham and Foden to operate without the captain.

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

"For Man City, he operates similarly to a number eight or 10, 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 make him an option as the advanced playmaker, paired with a defensive anchor.

This would then allow Bellingham to play as the attacking midfielder and Kane as the center forward.

No matter whether Tuchel decides to set England up like this at the international competition, what bodes well is his readiness to exclude star names in the name of balance.