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After achieving six consecutive triumphs in six games, an unbreached defense and tournament placement confirmed with matches remaining, national team coach Thomas Tuchel might claim he has got all of his big qualifying decisions correct.

However, in the build-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 equivalent formation.

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

"They can but not with current tactics, not for the balance that we created and not within the framework that comes also with wingers who are highly specialized in their positions. We currently utilize with specific numbered positions."

From guaranteed positions to competitive roles

Foden and Bellingham have been used in wide positions for England in the past, but the manager's choices imply that the Barcelona loanee and Arsenal's winger are his first choices on the left and right flank respectively.

But can Bellingham, Foden and Kane operate simultaneously?

Gareth Southgate apparently believed they could.

Bellingham, Foden and Kane started all of England's seven matches at the European Championship in Germany, where Southgate's side were defeated by Spain in the final.

In the 16 matches the three have featured together, England have won 10, drawn three and lost three, scoring 36 times and letting in 14 strikes.

Tactical insight: Foden's flexibility provides alternatives

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

The young midfielder has been the key creative force because of his excellent dribbling, strike quality and capacity to penetrate the area when the number nine withdraws.

Tuchel has mentioned preferring dedicated wide players. The Arsenal and Newcastle stars play out wide weekly and can hold the ball well, take their full-back on, and arrive in the box to score.

In midfield behind the attackers, Tuchel utilizes two central midfielders consisting of a holding midfielder and another with greater freedom to join the forward movement.

What solutions exist for the trio?

Foden and Bellingham would be competing with other creative midfielders for the attacking midfield position, with Kane probably featuring up front.

Foden could feature as the number nine, which theoretically could allow both Bellingham and Foden to feature instead of Kane.

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

"For Man City, he functions as a box-to-box or creative role, 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 permitted him to contribute from midfield and could position him as the central midfielder, next to a more defensive number six.

This would then enable Bellingham to operate as the number 10 and Kane as the center forward.

No matter whether Tuchel decides to set England up like this at the World Cup, what bodes well is his readiness to exclude star names in the interest of team harmony.