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After achieving six consecutive triumphs out of six, no goals conceded and World Cup qualification confirmed with matches remaining, England manager Thomas Tuchel could suggest he has got all of his big qualifying decisions correct.

However, 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 - cannot play in the identical lineup.

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

"They can but not within this system, not maintaining equilibrium that we developed and not in this formation that incorporates wingers who are essentially experts in their positions. We play at the moment with defensive, central, attacking midfielders and striker."

From guaranteed positions to competitive roles

Foden and Bellingham have been utilized out wide for England in the past, but the manager's choices suggest that the Barcelona loanee and Arsenal's winger are his first choices on the wide areas respectively.

The question remains whether Bellingham, Foden and Kane coexist in the lineup?

Former Three Lions boss evidently thought it possible.

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

In the 16 fixtures the stars have performed simultaneously, England have triumphed 10 times, shared points three times and been defeated three times, scoring 36 times and conceding 14.

Tactical insight: Foden's flexibility provides alternatives

Tuchel has played a 4-2-3-1 system that transforms formation 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 forward retreats.

Tuchel has spoken about preferring natural flank operators. The Arsenal and Newcastle stars play out wide weekly and can hold the ball well, take their full-back on, and appear in scoring positions.

In midfield behind the attackers, Tuchel employs a double pivot consisting of one defensively strict player and one with more license to support offensive play.

So how could Tuchel use these three players?

Foden and Bellingham would be battling with other creative midfielders for the attacking midfield position, with Kane probably featuring up front.

Foden could play as the number nine, which theoretically could enable both Bellingham and Foden to feature instead of Kane.

There is a potential solution all three could play in this system and Tuchel alluded to it this week.

"With his club, he functions as a box-to-box or creative role, so maybe during the next months we regard him as a central midfielder," 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 make him an option as the number eight, paired with a defensive anchor.

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

Irrespective of whether Tuchel chooses to configure the team like this at the global tournament, what seems encouraging is his willingness to leave big players out in the pursuit of tactical equilibrium.