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With six wins from six matches, no goals conceded and a World Cup spot assured before the final rounds, Three Lions boss Thomas Tuchel might claim he has got all of his big qualifying decisions correct.

Nevertheless, in the preparation for Thursday's Wembley encounter against Serbia, he raised questions when he claimed that three of the England's elite footballers - Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden and Harry Kane - struggle to perform in the same team.

"Presently, if we maintain the formation, they cannot play.

"They might but not with current tactics, not for the balance that we established and not in this formation that incorporates wingers who are essentially experts in their positions. We presently employ with a six, eight, a 10 and a nine."

From automatic picks to contested places

The Manchester City and Real Madrid stars have been utilized out wide for England in the past, but the manager's choices imply that the Barcelona loanee and Arsenal's winger are his primary selections on the left and right flank respectively.

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

The previous England manager apparently believed they could.

Bellingham, Foden and Kane started all of England's seven games at Euro 2024 in Germany, where the England team lost to Spain in the final.

In the 16 fixtures the three have featured together, England have triumphed 10 times, tied three matches and lost three, netting 36 goals and letting in 14 strikes.

Tactical insight: Foden's flexibility provides alternatives

Tuchel has employed a four-two-three-one setup that changes shape when England attack.

Morgan Rogers has been the key creative force because of his excellent dribbling, strike quality and capacity to penetrate the area when the forward retreats.

Tuchel has spoken about preferring natural flank operators. The Arsenal and Newcastle stars consistently operate in wide areas and can maintain possession effectively, challenge defenders, and enter the area to finish.

Behind this front four, Tuchel employs a double pivot consisting of one defensively strict player and another with greater freedom to contribute to the attack.

Potential configurations for England's stars

Foden and Bellingham would be vying against attacking alternatives for the creative hub, with Kane probably featuring up front.

Foden could feature as the main forward, which potentially could allow both Bellingham and Foden to feature instead of Kane.

There is one way all three could coexist effectively and Tuchel suggested it this week.

"For Man City, he operates similarly to a number eight or 10, so maybe during the next months we consider him as a number eight," he said.

Foden has been deployed in a versatile central position this season.

That has allowed him to take responsibility deeper and could make him an option as the central midfielder, paired with a defensive anchor.

This would then allow Bellingham to play as the attacking midfielder and Kane as the center forward.

Irrespective of whether Tuchel opts to structure the side like this at the global tournament, what appears positive is his preparedness to omit established stars in the pursuit of tactical equilibrium.