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With six wins from six matches, an unbreached defense and a World Cup spot assured before the final rounds, England manager Thomas Tuchel could suggest he has made the right selection choices.

Yet, in the preparation for Thursday's home game against Serbia, he sparked a debate when he stated that three of the nation's top talents - Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden and Harry Kane - are unable to feature in the identical lineup.

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

"They might but not with current tactics, not preserving harmony that we created and not in this formation that incorporates wingers who are highly specialized in their positions. We currently utilize with a six, eight, a 10 and a nine."

From automatic picks to contested places

The Manchester City and Real Madrid stars have been utilized out wide for England in the past, but Tuchel's selections indicate that Marcus Rashford and the Gunners' star are his preferred options on the left and right flank respectively.

The question remains whether Bellingham, Foden and Kane play together?

Gareth Southgate certainly thought so.

Bellingham, Foden and Kane started all of England's seven fixtures at the European Championship in Germany, where the national squad were defeated by Spain in the final.

In the 16 games the three have featured alongside each other, England have won 10, drawn three and been defeated three times, scoring 36 times 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 Aston Villa player has been the primary attacking midfielder because of his strong ball-carrying, strike quality and ability to attack the box when the striker drops deep.

Tuchel has discussed favoring natural flank operators. Saka and Gordon play out wide weekly and can maintain possession effectively, challenge defenders, and arrive in the box to score.

Supporting the attacking quartet, Tuchel plays with a midfield two consisting of one defensively strict player and one with more license to contribute to the attack.

Potential configurations for England's stars

Foden and Bellingham would be competing with other creative midfielders for the number 10 role, with Kane expected to lead up front.

Foden could play as the central striker, which potentially could permit both Bellingham and Foden to feature instead of Kane.

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

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

Foden has been deployed in a versatile central position this season.

That has enabled him to operate from deeper areas and could categorize him as the number eight, alongside a holding midfielder.

This would then permit Bellingham to feature as the attacking midfielder and Kane as the striker.

No matter whether Tuchel opts to structure the side like this at the global tournament, what seems encouraging is his preparedness to omit established stars in the interest of team harmony.