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Having secured six victories out of six, no goals conceded and a World Cup spot secured with two group games to spare, Three Lions boss Thomas Tuchel might claim he has chosen wisely throughout qualification.

Yet, in the preparation for Thursday's Wembley encounter against Serbia, he raised questions when he stated 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 keep the structure, they cannot play.

"They can but not within this system, not preserving harmony that we created and not for the structure that comes also with wingers who are like specialists in their positions. We presently employ with defensive, central, attacking midfielders and striker."

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 his team selections suggest that Marcus Rashford and Arsenal's winger are his primary selections on the left and right flank respectively.

The question remains whether Bellingham, Foden and Kane operate simultaneously?

The previous England manager evidently thought it possible.

Bellingham, Foden and Kane featured in every England's seven fixtures at last summer's tournament in Germany, where Southgate's side were defeated by Spain in the final.

In the 16 fixtures the three have featured together, England have triumphed 10 times, shared points three times and been defeated three times, netting 36 goals and conceding 14.

Analysis: Foden's versatility gives Tuchel options

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

The young midfielder has been the main number 10 because of his strong ball-carrying, strike quality and ability to attack the box when the striker drops deep.

Tuchel has mentioned preferring natural flank operators. The wide attackers regularly feature on the wings 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 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 creative hub, with Kane expected to lead up front.

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

There is one way all three could coexist effectively and Tuchel hinted at it this week.

"At Manchester City, he plays almost like a central or attacking midfielder, so maybe during the next months we regard him as a number eight," he said.

Foden has been utilized as a flexible midfielder this season.

That has allowed him to take responsibility deeper and could categorize him as the central midfielder, alongside a holding midfielder.

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

Regardless of if Tuchel decides to set England up like this at the World Cup, what bodes well is his readiness to exclude star names in the pursuit of tactical equilibrium.