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With six wins in six games, no goals conceded and a World Cup spot secured with two group games to spare, national team coach Thomas Tuchel can argue he has got all of his big qualifying decisions correct.

Nevertheless, in the build-up to Thursday's Wembley encounter against Serbia, he sparked a debate when he said that three of the England's elite footballers - Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden and Harry Kane - cannot play in the equivalent formation.

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

"They can but not within this system, not preserving harmony that we created and not within the framework that incorporates wingers who are like specialists in their positions. We currently utilize with specific numbered positions."

From guaranteed positions to competitive roles

Foden and Bellingham have been utilized out wide for England in the past, but Tuchel's selections suggest that the Manchester United forward and the Gunners' star are his primary selections on the wing positions respectively.

But can Bellingham, Foden and Kane operate simultaneously?

The previous England manager evidently thought it possible.

Bellingham, Foden and Kane were selected for each England's seven fixtures at Euro 2024 in Germany, where the national squad fell to the Spanish in the final.

In the 16 games the three have featured alongside each other, England have triumphed 10 times, tied three matches and been defeated three times, netting 36 goals and conceding 14.

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 primary attacking midfielder because of his impressive ball progression, strike quality and skill in entering the penalty area when the forward retreats.

Tuchel has spoken about preferring natural flank operators. The Arsenal and Newcastle stars consistently operate in wide areas and can maintain possession effectively, take their full-back on, and arrive in the box to score.

Behind this front four, Tuchel plays with a midfield two consisting of a holding midfielder and another with greater freedom to contribute to the attack.

Potential configurations for England's stars

Foden and Bellingham would be battling with Cole Palmer, Morgan Rogers and Eberechi Eze for the attacking midfield position, with Kane likely to start up front.

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

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

"With his club, he operates similarly to a central or attacking midfielder, 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 make him an option as the advanced playmaker, alongside a holding midfielder.

This would then permit Bellingham to feature as the number 10 and Kane as the striker.

No matter whether Tuchel chooses to configure the team like this at the World Cup, what bodes well is his readiness to exclude star names in the pursuit of tactical equilibrium.