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After achieving six consecutive triumphs in six games, no goals conceded and World Cup qualification assured before the final rounds, national team coach Thomas Tuchel can argue he has made the right selection choices.

However, in the preparation for Thursday's domestic match against Serbia, he sparked a debate when he stated that three of the country's best players - Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden and Harry Kane - are unable to feature in the identical lineup.

"Presently, if we maintain the formation, they cannot play.

"They might but not within this system, not preserving harmony that we created and not in this formation that incorporates wingers who are like specialists in their positions. We play at the moment with a six, eight, a 10 and a nine."

From automatic picks to contested places

The Manchester City and Real Madrid stars have been deployed on the flanks for England in the past, but his team selections imply that the Manchester United forward and Arsenal's winger are his primary selections on the wing positions respectively.

But can Bellingham, Foden and Kane coexist in the lineup?

Gareth Southgate evidently thought it possible.

Bellingham, Foden and Kane started all of England's seven games at Euro 2024 in Germany, where Southgate's side fell to the Spanish in the final.

In the 16 games the trio have played together, England have won 10, tied three matches and been defeated three times, scoring 36 times and conceding 14.

Strategic view: Versatile Foden offers solutions

Tuchel has played a 4-2-3-1 system that alters structure when England attack.

Morgan Rogers has been the primary attacking midfielder because of his excellent dribbling, strike quality and skill in entering the penalty area when the number nine withdraws.

Tuchel has mentioned preferring specialist wingers. Saka and Gordon play out wide weekly and can retain the ball skillfully, take their full-back on, and enter the area to finish.

Behind this front four, Tuchel employs a double pivot consisting of one defensively strict player and another with greater freedom to contribute to the attack.

Potential configurations for England's stars

Foden and Bellingham would be vying against attacking alternatives for the number 10 role, with Kane probably featuring up front.

Foden could operate as the number nine, which potentially could allow both Bellingham and Foden to operate without the captain.

There is an alternative approach all three could coexist effectively and Tuchel suggested it this week.

"For Man City, he operates similarly to a box-to-box or creative role, so potentially in future we regard 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 position him as the advanced playmaker, alongside a holding midfielder.

This would then enable Bellingham to operate as the number 10 and Kane as the center forward.

Regardless of if Tuchel decides to set England up like this at the World Cup, what bodes well is his readiness to exclude star names in the interest of team harmony.