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Having secured six victories in six games, no goals conceded and a World Cup spot secured with two group games to spare, England manager Thomas Tuchel might claim he has made the right selection choices.

Nevertheless, in the lead-up to Thursday's home game against Serbia, he sparked a debate when he said that three of the England's elite footballers - Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden and Harry Kane - are unable to feature in the same team.

"Presently, if we keep the structure, they won't fit together.

"It's possible but not with current tactics, not preserving harmony that we established and not for the structure that also includes wingers who are essentially experts in their positions. We play at the moment with a six, eight, a 10 and a nine."

From guaranteed positions to competitive roles

The Manchester City and Real Madrid stars have been utilized out wide for England in the past, but his team selections suggest that the Barcelona loanee and Arsenal's winger are his primary selections on the wing positions respectively.

The question remains whether Bellingham, Foden and Kane operate simultaneously?

The previous England manager certainly thought so.

Bellingham, Foden and Kane were selected for each England's seven games at the European Championship in Germany, where the England team fell to the Spanish in the final.

In the 16 games the stars have performed simultaneously, England have secured 10 victories, shared points three times and lost three, netting 36 goals and allowing 14 goals.

Analysis: Foden's versatility gives Tuchel options

Tuchel has utilized a 4-2-3-1 formation that changes shape when England attack.

The young midfielder has been the main number 10 because of his strong ball-carrying, strike quality and capacity to penetrate the area when the forward retreats.

Tuchel has spoken about preferring dedicated wide players. The Arsenal and Newcastle stars regularly feature on the wings and can hold the ball well, challenge defenders, and enter the area to finish.

In midfield behind the attackers, Tuchel utilizes two central midfielders consisting of one defensively strict player and another with greater freedom to support offensive play.

Potential configurations for England's stars

Foden and Bellingham would be competing with attacking alternatives for the number 10 role, with Kane likely to start up front.

Foden could feature as the central striker, which in theory could allow both Bellingham and Foden to feature instead of Kane.

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

"At Manchester City, he operates similarly to a box-to-box or creative role, so perhaps in coming months we consider him as a number eight," he said.

Foden has been utilized as a flexible midfielder this season.

That has permitted him to contribute from midfield and could make him an option as the central midfielder, paired with a defensive anchor.

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

Regardless of if Tuchel decides to set England up like this at the international competition, what seems encouraging is his preparedness to omit established stars in the interest of team harmony.