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Having secured six victories out of six, an unbreached defense and a World Cup spot assured before the final rounds, England manager Thomas Tuchel can argue he has made the right selection choices.

Nevertheless, in the lead-up to Thursday's Wembley encounter against Serbia, he initiated discussion when he said that three of the nation's top talents - Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden and Harry Kane - cannot play in the same team.

"Currently, if we keep the structure, they cannot play.

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

From guaranteed positions to competitive roles

The Manchester City and Real Madrid stars have been utilized out wide for England in the past, but his team selections suggest that the Barcelona loanee and the Gunners' star are his preferred options on the left and right flank respectively.

The question remains whether Bellingham, Foden and Kane play together?

Former Three Lions boss apparently believed they could.

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

In the 16 games the three have featured simultaneously, England have secured 10 victories, drawn three and lost three, registering 36 scores and letting in 14 strikes.

Strategic view: Versatile Foden offers solutions

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

Morgan Rogers has been the key creative force because of his excellent dribbling, strike quality and ability to attack the box when the number nine withdraws.

Tuchel has mentioned preferring natural flank operators. Saka and Gordon consistently operate in wide areas and can retain the ball skillfully, engage in one-on-one situations, and enter the area to finish.

Behind this front four, Tuchel employs a double pivot consisting of a holding midfielder and another with greater freedom to support offensive play.

Potential configurations for England's stars

Foden and Bellingham would be battling with Cole Palmer, Morgan Rogers and Eberechi Eze for the creative hub, with Kane probably featuring up front.

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

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

"For Man City, he operates similarly to a box-to-box or creative role, so maybe during the next months we regard him as a central midfielder," 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 number eight, paired with a defensive anchor.

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

Irrespective of whether Tuchel opts to structure the side like this at the global tournament, what appears positive is his readiness to exclude star names in the interest of team harmony.