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With six wins in six games, an unbreached defense and a World Cup spot assured before the final rounds, Three Lions boss Thomas Tuchel can argue he has chosen wisely throughout qualification.

Nevertheless, in the lead-up to Thursday's Wembley encounter against Serbia, he sparked a debate when he claimed that three of the England's elite footballers - Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden and Harry Kane - cannot play in the identical lineup.

"Currently, if we stick with the system, they cannot play.

"It's possible but not with current tactics, not for the balance that we developed and not for the structure that comes also with wingers who are essentially experts in their positions. We presently employ with specific numbered positions."

From guaranteed positions to competitive roles

England's creative talents have been utilized out wide for England in the past, but Tuchel's selections indicate that the Manchester United forward and Bukayo Saka are his first choices on the left and right flank respectively.

So can Bellingham, Foden and Kane operate simultaneously?

Former Three Lions boss evidently thought it possible.

Bellingham, Foden and Kane were selected for each England's seven fixtures at last summer's tournament in Germany, where the national squad lost to Spain in the final.

In the 16 fixtures the three have featured simultaneously, 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 utilized a 4-2-3-1 formation that alters structure when England attack.

Morgan Rogers has been the main number 10 because of his strong ball-carrying, shooting ability and ability to attack the box when the striker drops deep.

Tuchel has mentioned preferring specialist wingers. The Arsenal and Newcastle stars regularly feature on the wings and can retain the ball skillfully, challenge defenders, and arrive in the box to score.

Behind this front four, Tuchel employs a double pivot consisting of a disciplined defensive presence and a partner with attacking liberty to join the forward movement.

Potential configurations for England's stars

Foden and Bellingham would be competing with Cole Palmer, Morgan Rogers and Eberechi Eze for the creative hub, with Kane likely to start up front.

Foden could feature as the number nine, which theoretically could allow both Bellingham and Foden to operate without the captain.

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

"With his club, he functions as a central or attacking midfielder, so maybe during the next months we consider him as a box-to-box player," he said.

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

That has permitted him to contribute from midfield and could categorize him as the central midfielder, next to a more defensive number six.

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

Irrespective of whether Tuchel chooses to configure the team like this at the World Cup, what seems encouraging is his willingness to leave big players out in the pursuit of tactical equilibrium.