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With six wins in six games, no goals conceded and World Cup qualification assured before the final rounds, national team coach Thomas Tuchel can argue he has got all of his big qualifying decisions correct.

However, in the preparation for Thursday's home game against Serbia, he sparked a debate when he said that three of the nation's top talents - Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden and Harry Kane - are unable to feature in the same team.

"Currently, if we keep the structure, they are unable to feature.

"They can but not in the structure, not maintaining equilibrium that we created and not within the framework that comes also with wingers who are like specialists in their positions. We play at the moment with a six, eight, a 10 and a nine."

From guaranteed positions to competitive roles

England's creative talents have been utilized out wide for England in the past, but his team selections indicate that the Manchester United forward and the Gunners' star are his primary selections on the wing positions respectively.

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

Former Three Lions boss apparently believed they could.

Bellingham, Foden and Kane featured in every England's seven matches at the European Championship in Germany, where Southgate's side were defeated by Spain in the final.

In the 16 matches the trio have played together, England have triumphed 10 times, tied three matches and lost three, scoring 36 times and letting in 14 strikes.

Strategic view: Versatile Foden offers solutions

Tuchel has played a 4-2-3-1 system that alters structure when England attack.

The Aston Villa player has been the main number 10 because of his excellent dribbling, shooting ability and skill in entering the penalty area when the number nine withdraws.

Tuchel has discussed favoring specialist wingers. The wide attackers play out wide weekly and can maintain possession effectively, take their full-back on, and appear in scoring positions.

Behind this front four, Tuchel utilizes two central midfielders consisting of one defensively strict player and another with greater freedom to support offensive play.

Potential configurations for England's stars

Foden and Bellingham would be competing with Cole Palmer, Morgan Rogers and Eberechi Eze for the attacking midfield position, with Kane probably featuring up front.

Foden could operate as the central striker, which in theory could enable both Bellingham and Foden to feature instead of Kane.

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

"For Man City, he functions as a box-to-box or creative role, so maybe during the next months we consider him as a number eight," he said.

Foden has been utilized as a flexible midfielder this season.

That has allowed him to take responsibility deeper and could make him an option as the number eight, next to a more defensive number six.

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

Irrespective of whether Tuchel chooses to configure the team like this at the global tournament, what seems encouraging is his readiness to exclude star names in the pursuit of tactical equilibrium.