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Having secured six victories from six matches, zero goals allowed and World Cup qualification assured before the final rounds, national team coach Thomas Tuchel could suggest he has made the right selection choices.

Nevertheless, in the build-up to Thursday's domestic match against Serbia, he raised questions when he claimed that three of the country's best players - Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden and Harry Kane - struggle to perform in the identical lineup.

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

"They might but not in the structure, not preserving harmony that we established and not for the structure that also includes wingers who are essentially experts in their positions. We presently employ with specific numbered positions."

From automatic picks to contested places

The Manchester City and Real Madrid stars have been deployed on the flanks for England in the past, but Tuchel's selections suggest that Marcus Rashford and the Gunners' star are his primary selections on the wing positions 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 featured in every England's seven games at the European Championship in Germany, where the England team fell to the Spanish in the final.

In the 16 fixtures the stars have performed simultaneously, England have won 10, shared points three times and suffered three losses, scoring 36 times and letting in 14 strikes.

Strategic view: Versatile Foden offers solutions

Tuchel has played a 4-2-3-1 system that transforms formation when England attack.

The Aston Villa player has been the key creative force because of his impressive ball progression, shooting ability and skill in entering the penalty area when the forward retreats.

Tuchel has mentioned preferring natural flank operators. Saka and Gordon play out wide weekly and can retain the ball skillfully, engage in one-on-one situations, and arrive in the box to score.

Supporting the attacking quartet, Tuchel utilizes two central midfielders consisting of a disciplined defensive presence and another with greater freedom to contribute to the attack.

What solutions exist for the trio?

Foden and Bellingham would be vying against attacking alternatives for the number 10 role, with Kane expected to lead up front.

Foden could play as the number nine, which theoretically could enable both Bellingham and Foden to operate without the captain.

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

"For Man City, he plays almost like a central or attacking midfielder, so perhaps in coming months we consider 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 make him an option as the advanced playmaker, paired with a defensive anchor.

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

No matter whether Tuchel decides to set England up like this at the global tournament, what appears positive is his willingness to leave big players out in the pursuit of tactical equilibrium.