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With six wins from six matches, no goals conceded and World Cup qualification secured with two group games to spare, England manager Thomas Tuchel can argue he has got all of his big qualifying decisions correct.

However, in the preparation for 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.

"At the moment, if we stick with the system, they won't fit together.

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

From guaranteed positions to competitive roles

The Manchester City and Real Madrid stars have been deployed on the flanks for England in the past, but his team selections suggest that Marcus Rashford and the Gunners' star are his preferred options on the wide areas respectively.

So can Bellingham, Foden and Kane operate simultaneously?

The previous England manager certainly thought so.

Bellingham, Foden and Kane started all of England's seven games at the European Championship in Germany, where Southgate's side fell to the Spanish in the final.

In the 16 fixtures the stars have performed simultaneously, England have triumphed 10 times, drawn three and lost three, registering 36 scores and allowing 14 goals.

Analysis: Foden's versatility gives Tuchel options

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

The Aston Villa player has been the primary attacking midfielder because of his impressive ball progression, ball-striking and skill in entering the penalty area when the forward retreats.

Tuchel has mentioned preferring dedicated wide players. The Arsenal and Newcastle stars consistently operate in wide areas and can hold the ball well, engage in one-on-one situations, and appear in scoring positions.

Supporting the attacking quartet, Tuchel utilizes two central midfielders consisting of one defensively strict player and one with more license to support offensive play.

Potential configurations for England's stars

Foden and Bellingham would be competing with Cole Palmer, Morgan Rogers and Eberechi Eze for the attacking midfield position, with Kane probably featuring up front.

Foden could feature as the number nine, which potentially could permit both Bellingham and Foden to operate without the captain.

There is an alternative approach all three could coexist effectively and Tuchel alluded to it this week.

"For Man City, he functions as a box-to-box or creative role, so potentially in future we consider him as a number eight," he said.

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

That has permitted him to contribute from midfield and could position him as the number eight, paired with a defensive anchor.

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

No matter whether Tuchel chooses to configure the team like this at the World Cup, what seems encouraging is his readiness to exclude star names in the pursuit of tactical equilibrium.