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Having secured six victories out of six, an unbreached defense and a World Cup spot secured with two group games to spare, England manager Thomas Tuchel can argue he has made the right selection choices.

Nevertheless, in the preparation for Thursday's home game against Serbia, he raised questions when he said that three of the nation's top talents - Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden and Harry Kane - struggle to perform in the identical lineup.

"Currently, if we maintain the formation, they won't fit together.

"They might but not with current tactics, not preserving harmony that we developed and not within the framework that comes also with wingers who are highly specialized in their positions. We play at the moment with defensive, central, attacking midfielders and striker."

From certain starters to fighting for spots

Foden and Bellingham have been utilized out wide for England in the past, but his team selections suggest that Marcus Rashford and the Gunners' star are his primary selections on the left and right flank respectively.

But can Bellingham, Foden and Kane play together?

The previous England manager certainly thought so.

Bellingham, Foden and Kane featured in every England's seven matches at Euro 2024 in Germany, where Southgate's side fell to the Spanish in the final.

In the 16 fixtures the stars have performed alongside each other, England have secured 10 victories, tied three matches and suffered three losses, registering 36 scores and letting in 14 strikes.

Analysis: Foden's versatility gives Tuchel options

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

The Aston Villa player has been the key creative force because of his excellent dribbling, shooting ability and capacity to penetrate the area when the forward retreats.

Tuchel has discussed favoring dedicated wide players. Saka and Gordon play out wide weekly and can retain the ball skillfully, take their full-back on, and arrive in the box to score.

In midfield behind the attackers, Tuchel plays with a midfield two 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 attacking alternatives for the attacking midfield position, with Kane expected to lead up front.

Foden could operate as the main forward, which potentially could allow both Bellingham and Foden to feature instead of Kane.

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

"For Man City, he operates similarly to a number eight or 10, so perhaps in coming months we regard him as a number eight," 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 advanced playmaker, next to a more defensive number six.

This would then allow Bellingham to play as the number 10 and Kane as the striker.

No matter whether Tuchel decides to set England up like this at the global tournament, what appears positive is his willingness to leave big players out in the name of balance.