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With six wins out of six, an unbreached defense 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 build-up to Thursday's Wembley encounter against Serbia, he initiated discussion when he claimed that three of the country's best players - Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden and Harry Kane - are unable to feature in the same team.

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

"It's possible but not with current tactics, not for the balance that we created and not in this formation that incorporates wingers who are highly specialized in their positions. We play at the moment with specific numbered positions."

From certain starters to fighting for spots

England's creative talents have been utilized out wide for England in the past, but Tuchel's selections suggest that Marcus Rashford and the Gunners' star are his first choices on the wide areas respectively.

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

Former Three Lions boss certainly thought so.

Bellingham, Foden and Kane started all of England's seven fixtures at Euro 2024 in Germany, where the national squad lost to Spain in the final.

In the 16 matches the stars have performed alongside each other, England have won 10, drawn three and been defeated three times, netting 36 goals and conceding 14.

Strategic view: Versatile Foden offers solutions

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

The young midfielder has been the primary attacking midfielder because of his strong ball-carrying, strike quality and capacity to penetrate the area when the striker drops deep.

Tuchel has discussed favoring natural flank operators. The wide attackers play out wide weekly and can maintain possession effectively, challenge defenders, and enter the area to finish.

Supporting the attacking quartet, Tuchel utilizes two central midfielders consisting of a holding midfielder and one with more license to join the forward movement.

What solutions exist for the trio?

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

Foden could play as the number nine, which theoretically could allow both Bellingham and Foden to play at Kane's expense.

There is one way all three could play in this system and Tuchel suggested it this week.

"With his club, he plays almost like a central or attacking midfielder, so perhaps in coming months we consider him as a box-to-box player," he said.

Foden has been used in a more all-purpose midfield role this season.

That has enabled him to operate from deeper areas and could categorize him as the number eight, paired with a defensive anchor.

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

No matter whether Tuchel decides to set England up like this at the World Cup, what seems encouraging is his preparedness to omit established stars in the pursuit of tactical equilibrium.