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Having secured six victories out of six, no goals conceded and World Cup qualification confirmed with matches remaining, national team coach Thomas Tuchel can argue he has got all of his big qualifying decisions correct.

However, in the lead-up to Thursday's domestic match against Serbia, he raised questions when he claimed that three of the country's best players - Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden and Harry Kane - cannot play in the same team.

"Presently, if we maintain the formation, they are unable to feature.

"They can but not with current tactics, not maintaining equilibrium that we established and not for the structure that incorporates wingers who are highly specialized in their positions. We presently employ with defensive, central, attacking midfielders and striker."

From guaranteed positions to competitive roles

Foden and Bellingham have been utilized out wide for England in the past, but his team selections indicate that the Barcelona loanee and Arsenal's winger are his preferred options on the wide areas respectively.

The question remains whether Bellingham, Foden and Kane operate simultaneously?

Gareth Southgate evidently thought it possible.

Bellingham, Foden and Kane featured in every England's seven fixtures at last summer's tournament in Germany, where the national squad were defeated by Spain in the final.

In the 16 matches the trio have played alongside each other, England have won 10, shared points three times and been defeated three times, registering 36 scores and conceding 14.

Strategic view: Versatile Foden offers solutions

Tuchel has employed a four-two-three-one setup that alters structure when England attack.

The young midfielder has been the primary attacking midfielder because of his strong ball-carrying, shooting ability and ability to attack the box when the forward retreats.

Tuchel has discussed favoring specialist wingers. Saka and Gordon consistently operate in wide areas and can hold the ball well, take their full-back on, and appear in scoring positions.

Supporting the attacking quartet, Tuchel utilizes two central midfielders consisting of a holding midfielder and a partner with attacking liberty to support offensive play.

So how could Tuchel use these three players?

Foden and Bellingham would be competing 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 enable both Bellingham and Foden to play at Kane's expense.

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

"At Manchester City, he operates similarly to a central or attacking midfielder, so maybe during the next months we regard him as a number eight," he said.

Foden has been used in a more all-purpose midfield role this season.

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

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

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 interest of team harmony.