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After achieving six consecutive triumphs out of six, zero goals allowed and tournament placement assured before the final rounds, England manager Thomas Tuchel might claim he has chosen wisely throughout qualification.

However, in the build-up to Thursday's domestic match against Serbia, he initiated discussion when he said that three of the country's best players - Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden and Harry Kane - cannot play in the identical lineup.

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

"It's possible but not within this system, not maintaining equilibrium that we created and not in this formation that comes also with wingers who are essentially experts in their positions. We presently employ with specific numbered positions."

From certain starters to fighting for spots

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 wide areas respectively.

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

Former Three Lions boss apparently believed they could.

Bellingham, Foden and Kane were selected for each 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 triumphed 10 times, shared points three times 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.

Morgan Rogers has been the primary attacking midfielder because of his strong ball-carrying, strike quality and ability to attack the box when the number nine withdraws.

Tuchel has mentioned preferring specialist wingers. Saka and Gordon regularly feature on the wings and can maintain possession effectively, challenge defenders, and appear in scoring positions.

Behind this front four, Tuchel utilizes two central midfielders consisting of a holding midfielder and another with greater freedom to join the forward movement.

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 feature as the central striker, which theoretically could allow both Bellingham and Foden to play at Kane's expense.

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

"For Man City, he operates similarly to a central or attacking midfielder, so potentially in future we regard 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, next to a more defensive number six.

This would then allow Bellingham to play as the attacking midfielder and Kane as the nine.

Regardless of if Tuchel decides to set England up like this at the global tournament, what bodes well is his willingness to leave big players out in the name of balance.