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With six wins from six matches, no goals conceded and World Cup qualification assured before the final rounds, England manager Thomas Tuchel can argue he has chosen wisely throughout qualification.

Yet, 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 - are unable to feature in the identical lineup.

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

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

From certain starters to fighting for spots

The Manchester City and Real Madrid stars have been deployed on the flanks for England in the past, but his team selections suggest that the Manchester United forward and Arsenal's winger are his preferred options on the wing positions respectively.

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

The previous England manager apparently believed they could.

Bellingham, Foden and Kane featured in every England's seven games at Euro 2024 in Germany, where the national squad fell to the Spanish in the final.

In the 16 matches the three have featured alongside each other, England have won 10, shared points three times and been defeated three times, scoring 36 times and conceding 14.

Strategic view: Versatile Foden offers solutions

Tuchel has played a 4-2-3-1 system that changes shape when England attack.

The young midfielder has been the key creative force because of his excellent dribbling, ball-striking and skill in entering the penalty area when the striker drops deep.

Tuchel has discussed favoring natural flank operators. Saka and Gordon play out wide weekly and can retain the ball skillfully, take their full-back on, and enter the area to finish.

Behind this front four, Tuchel employs a double pivot consisting of a disciplined defensive presence and a partner with attacking liberty to join the forward movement.

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 probably featuring up front.

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

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

"At Manchester City, he operates similarly to a box-to-box or creative role, so maybe during the next months we regard him as a central midfielder," 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 advanced playmaker, next to a more defensive number six.

This would then allow Bellingham to play as the creative force and Kane as the striker.

No matter whether Tuchel decides to set England up like this at the international competition, what bodes well is his preparedness to omit established stars in the interest of team harmony.