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After achieving six consecutive triumphs in six games, no goals conceded and World Cup qualification confirmed with matches remaining, national team coach Thomas Tuchel could suggest he has got all of his big qualifying decisions correct.

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

"Presently, if we keep the structure, they are unable to feature.

"They can but not in the structure, not for the balance that we developed and not for the structure that incorporates wingers who are highly specialized in their positions. We currently utilize with a six, eight, a 10 and a nine."

From certain starters to fighting for spots

Foden and Bellingham have been used in wide positions for England in the past, but Tuchel's selections imply that the Barcelona loanee and Bukayo Saka are his first choices on the wing positions 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 games at last summer's tournament in Germany, where the England team lost to Spain in the final.

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

Strategic view: Versatile Foden offers solutions

Tuchel has played a 4-2-3-1 system that changes shape when England attack.

Morgan Rogers has been the main number 10 because of his impressive ball progression, strike quality and skill in entering the penalty area when the number nine withdraws.

Tuchel has spoken about preferring natural flank operators. The wide attackers consistently operate in wide areas and can maintain possession effectively, take their full-back on, and appear in scoring positions.

In midfield behind the attackers, Tuchel employs a double pivot consisting of a disciplined defensive presence and another with greater freedom to join the forward movement.

So how could Tuchel use these three players?

Foden and Bellingham would be vying against attacking alternatives for the attacking midfield position, with Kane likely to start up front.

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

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

"For Man City, 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 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 advanced playmaker, paired with a defensive anchor.

This would then permit Bellingham to feature as the creative force and Kane as the striker.

Regardless of if Tuchel chooses to configure the team like this at the global tournament, what seems encouraging is his readiness to exclude star names in the pursuit of tactical equilibrium.