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After achieving six consecutive triumphs out of six, no goals conceded and World Cup qualification assured before the final rounds, England manager Thomas Tuchel might claim he has made the right selection choices.

Yet, in the lead-up to Thursday's home game against Serbia, he raised questions when he stated 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 stick with the system, they cannot play.

"It's possible but not with current tactics, not for the balance that we established 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

Foden and Bellingham have been utilized out wide for England in the past, but his team selections suggest that the Manchester United forward and the Gunners' star are his first choices on the left and right flank respectively.

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

The previous England manager apparently believed they could.

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

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

Analysis: Foden's versatility gives Tuchel options

Tuchel has played a 4-2-3-1 system that transforms formation 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 number nine withdraws.

Tuchel has mentioned preferring dedicated wide players. The Arsenal and Newcastle stars play out wide weekly and can retain the ball skillfully, take their full-back on, and appear in scoring positions.

In midfield behind the attackers, Tuchel employs a double pivot consisting of a holding midfielder and a partner with attacking liberty to support offensive play.

What solutions exist for the trio?

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

Foden could feature as the main forward, which theoretically could enable both Bellingham and Foden to play at Kane's expense.

There is a potential solution all three could feature together and Tuchel hinted at it this week.

"With his club, he plays almost like a central or attacking midfielder, so maybe during the next months we view him as a central midfielder," he said.

Foden has been used in a more all-purpose midfield role this season.

That has allowed him to take responsibility deeper and could categorize him as the central midfielder, paired with a defensive anchor.

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

Irrespective of whether Tuchel decides to set England up like this at the World Cup, what appears positive is his readiness to exclude star names in the interest of team harmony.