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With six wins in six games, zero goals allowed and tournament placement assured before the final rounds, Three Lions boss Thomas Tuchel can argue he has got all of his big qualifying decisions correct.

Yet, in the lead-up to Thursday's home game against Serbia, he sparked a debate when he said that three of the country's best players - Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden and Harry Kane - cannot play in the same team.

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

"They might but not in the structure, not preserving harmony that we established and not in this formation that incorporates wingers who are like specialists in their positions. We presently employ with specific numbered positions."

From automatic picks to contested places

Foden and Bellingham have been deployed on the flanks for England in the past, but the manager's choices imply that the Manchester United forward and Arsenal's winger are his primary selections on the wide areas respectively.

The question remains whether Bellingham, Foden and Kane operate simultaneously?

Former Three Lions boss apparently believed they could.

Bellingham, Foden and Kane started all of England's seven fixtures at the European Championship in Germany, where the England team were defeated by Spain in the final.

In the 16 fixtures the stars have performed simultaneously, England have triumphed 10 times, drawn three and suffered three losses, scoring 36 times and conceding 14.

Strategic view: Versatile Foden offers solutions

Tuchel has played a 4-2-3-1 system that transforms formation when England attack.

Morgan Rogers has been the main number 10 because of his strong ball-carrying, strike quality and skill in entering the penalty area when the forward retreats.

Tuchel has spoken about preferring natural flank operators. Saka and Gordon regularly feature on the wings and can hold the ball well, challenge defenders, and arrive in the box to score.

Behind this front four, Tuchel employs a double pivot consisting of a holding midfielder and another with greater freedom to contribute to the attack.

What solutions exist for the trio?

Foden and Bellingham would be competing with attacking alternatives for the attacking midfield position, with Kane expected to lead up front.

Foden could operate as the main forward, which theoretically could enable both Bellingham and Foden to operate without the captain.

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 central or attacking midfielder, so potentially in future we view him as a central midfielder," he said.

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

That has enabled him to operate from deeper areas and could position him as the central midfielder, paired with a defensive anchor.

This would then allow Bellingham to play as the number 10 and Kane as the center forward.

No matter whether Tuchel decides to set England up like this at the global tournament, what bodes well is his willingness to leave big players out in the pursuit of tactical equilibrium.