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With six wins in six games, zero goals allowed and tournament placement assured before the final rounds, national team coach Thomas Tuchel could suggest he has made the right selection choices.

Yet, in the build-up to Thursday's Wembley encounter against Serbia, he initiated discussion when he stated that three of the England's elite footballers - Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden and Harry Kane - cannot play in the same team.

"Currently, if we stick with the system, they are unable to feature.

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

From guaranteed positions to competitive roles

England's creative talents have been used in wide positions for England in the past, but his team selections suggest that Marcus Rashford and Arsenal's winger are his preferred options on the wing positions respectively.

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

Gareth Southgate apparently believed they could.

Bellingham, Foden and Kane were selected for each England's seven games at last summer's tournament in Germany, where Southgate's side fell to the Spanish in the final.

In the 16 games the three have featured simultaneously, England have won 10, shared points three times and suffered three losses, scoring 36 times and allowing 14 goals.

Tactical insight: Foden's flexibility provides alternatives

Tuchel has played a 4-2-3-1 system that changes shape when England attack.

Morgan Rogers has been the main number 10 because of his strong ball-carrying, shooting ability and skill in entering the penalty area when the striker drops deep.

Tuchel has spoken about preferring natural flank operators. The wide attackers regularly feature on the wings and can hold the ball well, take their full-back on, and arrive in the box to score.

Supporting the attacking quartet, Tuchel employs a double pivot consisting of one defensively strict player and one with more license to contribute to the attack.

So how could Tuchel use these three players?

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

Foden could play as the main forward, which in theory could permit both Bellingham and Foden to feature instead of Kane.

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

"With his club, he operates similarly to a box-to-box or creative role, so maybe during the next months we regard him as a box-to-box player," he said.

Foden has been utilized as a flexible midfielder this season.

That has enabled him to operate from deeper areas and could categorize him as the number eight, next to a more defensive number six.

This would then allow Bellingham to play as the attacking midfielder and Kane as the striker.

No matter 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 name of balance.