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Having secured six victories out of six, an unbreached defense and World Cup qualification secured with two group games to spare, Three Lions boss Thomas Tuchel can argue he has made the right selection choices.

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

"Presently, if we stick with the system, they won't fit together.

"It's possible but not in the structure, not maintaining equilibrium that we developed and not for the structure that comes also with wingers who are highly specialized in their positions. We presently employ with a six, eight, a 10 and a nine."

From guaranteed positions to competitive roles

Foden and Bellingham have been used in wide positions for England in the past, but the manager's choices suggest that the Manchester United forward and Arsenal's winger are his first choices on the wide areas respectively.

But can Bellingham, Foden and Kane play together?

Former Three Lions boss certainly thought so.

Bellingham, Foden and Kane started all of England's seven fixtures at Euro 2024 in Germany, where Southgate's side were defeated by Spain in the final.

In the 16 games the three have featured alongside each other, England have secured 10 victories, shared points three times and been defeated three times, netting 36 goals and conceding 14.

Analysis: Foden's versatility gives Tuchel options

Tuchel has utilized a 4-2-3-1 formation that changes shape when England attack.

The young midfielder has been the main number 10 because of his impressive ball progression, shooting ability and capacity to penetrate the area when the forward retreats.

Tuchel has mentioned preferring dedicated wide players. The Arsenal and Newcastle stars consistently operate in wide areas and can hold the ball well, challenge defenders, and appear in scoring positions.

Behind this front four, Tuchel utilizes two central midfielders consisting of a disciplined defensive presence and a partner with attacking liberty to contribute to the attack.

What solutions exist for the trio?

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

Foden could play as the number nine, which theoretically could allow both Bellingham and Foden to play at Kane's expense.

There is a potential solution all three could coexist effectively and Tuchel alluded to it this week.

"At Manchester City, he functions as a number eight or 10, so perhaps in coming months we consider 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 categorize him as the advanced playmaker, next to a more defensive number six.

This would then enable Bellingham to operate as the attacking midfielder and Kane as the nine.

No matter whether Tuchel decides to set England up like this at the global tournament, what seems encouraging is his preparedness to omit established stars in the pursuit of tactical equilibrium.