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With six wins in six games, no goals conceded and tournament placement secured with two group games to spare, national team coach Thomas Tuchel might claim he has chosen wisely throughout qualification.

Nevertheless, in the preparation for Thursday's home game against Serbia, he sparked a debate when he claimed that three of the England's elite footballers - Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden and Harry Kane - are unable to feature in the same team.

"At the moment, if we keep the structure, they cannot play.

"It's possible but not within this system, not for the balance that we established and not in this formation that also includes 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 used in wide positions for England in the past, but his team selections imply that the Manchester United forward and Bukayo Saka are his primary selections on the wide areas respectively.

But can Bellingham, Foden and Kane operate simultaneously?

Former Three Lions boss apparently believed they could.

Bellingham, Foden and Kane were selected for each England's seven games at the European Championship in Germany, where Southgate's side lost to Spain in the final.

In the 16 fixtures the trio have played simultaneously, England have secured 10 victories, shared points three times and been defeated three times, registering 36 scores and conceding 14.

Analysis: Foden's versatility gives Tuchel options

Tuchel has utilized a 4-2-3-1 formation that alters structure when England attack.

The young midfielder has been the main number 10 because of his excellent dribbling, shooting ability and ability to attack the box when the number nine withdraws.

Tuchel has spoken about preferring natural flank operators. The wide attackers consistently operate in wide areas and can hold the ball well, take their full-back on, and appear in scoring positions.

Behind this front four, Tuchel employs a double pivot consisting of a holding midfielder and one with more license to support offensive play.

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 feature as the central striker, which potentially could enable both Bellingham and Foden to operate without the captain.

There is one way all three could feature together and Tuchel hinted at it this week.

"At Manchester City, he plays almost like a box-to-box or creative role, so perhaps in coming months we view him as a box-to-box player," he said.

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

That has allowed him to take responsibility deeper and could position him as the advanced playmaker, paired with a defensive anchor.

This would then permit Bellingham to feature as the number 10 and Kane as the nine.

No matter whether Tuchel chooses to configure the team like this at the global tournament, what appears positive is his willingness to leave big players out in the pursuit of tactical equilibrium.