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With six wins from six matches, no goals conceded and a World Cup spot confirmed with matches remaining, national team coach Thomas Tuchel might claim he has made the right selection choices.

Yet, in the build-up to Thursday's home game against Serbia, he raised questions when he claimed that three of the country's best players - Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden and Harry Kane - struggle to perform in the equivalent formation.

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

"They can but not within this system, not preserving harmony that we created and not in this formation that comes also with wingers who are highly specialized in their positions. We currently utilize with specific numbered positions."

From automatic picks to contested places

Foden and Bellingham have been used in wide positions for England in the past, but Tuchel's selections indicate that the Barcelona loanee and Bukayo Saka are his first choices on the wide areas respectively.

But can Bellingham, Foden and Kane operate simultaneously?

Former Three Lions boss apparently believed they could.

Bellingham, Foden and Kane were selected for each England's seven games at Euro 2024 in Germany, where the England team lost to Spain in the final.

In the 16 fixtures the stars have performed alongside each other, England have secured 10 victories, drawn three and suffered three losses, scoring 36 times and letting in 14 strikes.

Strategic view: Versatile Foden offers solutions

Tuchel has employed a four-two-three-one setup that alters structure when England attack.

Morgan Rogers has been the main number 10 because of his excellent dribbling, shooting ability and capacity to penetrate the area when the number nine withdraws.

Tuchel has discussed favoring specialist wingers. The wide attackers regularly feature on the wings and can maintain possession effectively, take their full-back on, and enter the area to finish.

Behind this front four, Tuchel plays with a midfield two consisting of a disciplined defensive presence and a partner with attacking liberty to support offensive play.

What solutions exist for the trio?

Foden and Bellingham would be competing with other creative midfielders for the creative hub, with Kane likely to start up front.

Foden could feature as the main forward, which potentially could allow both Bellingham and Foden to play at Kane's expense.

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

"With his club, he operates similarly to a number eight or 10, so perhaps in coming months we consider him as a number eight," 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, next to a more defensive number six.

This would then allow Bellingham to play as the creative force and Kane as the striker.

Regardless of if Tuchel chooses to configure the team like this at the international competition, what seems encouraging is his willingness to leave big players out in the pursuit of tactical equilibrium.