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After achieving six consecutive triumphs in six games, zero goals allowed and World Cup qualification assured before the final rounds, Three Lions boss Thomas Tuchel might claim he has made the right selection choices.

However, in the build-up to Thursday's Wembley encounter against Serbia, he sparked a debate when he stated that three of the country's best players - Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden and Harry Kane - struggle to perform in the same team.

"At the moment, if we maintain the formation, they cannot play.

"They can but not with current tactics, not maintaining equilibrium that we established and not within the framework that also includes wingers who are highly specialized in their positions. We play at the moment with specific numbered positions."

From certain starters to fighting for spots

England's creative talents have been used in wide positions for England in the past, but the manager's choices suggest that the Barcelona loanee and the Gunners' star are his first choices on the wide areas respectively.

So can Bellingham, Foden and Kane operate simultaneously?

The previous England manager apparently believed they could.

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

In the 16 matches the stars have performed together, England have won 10, shared points three times and suffered three losses, scoring 36 times and allowing 14 goals.

Tactical insight: Foden's flexibility provides alternatives

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

Morgan Rogers has been the key creative force because of his impressive ball progression, ball-striking and ability to attack the box when the striker drops deep.

Tuchel has mentioned preferring natural flank operators. The Arsenal and Newcastle stars consistently operate in wide areas and can maintain possession effectively, engage in one-on-one situations, and arrive in the box to score.

Supporting the attacking quartet, Tuchel employs a double pivot consisting of one defensively strict player and another with greater freedom to contribute to the attack.

So how could Tuchel use these three players?

Foden and Bellingham would be vying against Cole Palmer, Morgan Rogers and Eberechi Eze for the creative hub, with Kane probably featuring up front.

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

There is a potential solution all three could play in this system and Tuchel hinted at it this week.

"At Manchester City, he operates similarly to a central or attacking midfielder, so potentially in future we consider 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 categorize him as the central midfielder, alongside a holding midfielder.

This would then permit Bellingham to feature as the attacking midfielder and Kane as the nine.

Regardless of if Tuchel chooses to configure the team like this at the international competition, what bodes well is his readiness to exclude star names in the pursuit of tactical equilibrium.