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With six wins in six games, an unbreached defense and World Cup qualification confirmed with matches remaining, England manager Thomas Tuchel can argue he has got all of his big qualifying decisions correct.

Yet, in the build-up to Thursday's domestic match 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 same team.

"At the moment, if we maintain the formation, they are unable to feature.

"It's possible but not in the structure, not for the balance that we developed and not within the framework that incorporates wingers who are like specialists in their positions. We play at the moment with a six, eight, a 10 and a nine."

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 indicate that Marcus Rashford and Bukayo Saka 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 were selected for each England's seven games at the European Championship in Germany, where the England team fell to the Spanish in the final.

In the 16 games the trio have played simultaneously, England have won 10, tied three matches and suffered three losses, registering 36 scores and letting in 14 strikes.

Analysis: Foden's versatility gives Tuchel options

Tuchel has played a 4-2-3-1 system that alters structure when England attack.

The Aston Villa player has been the key creative force because of his strong ball-carrying, shooting ability and ability to attack the box when the forward retreats.

Tuchel has discussed favoring dedicated wide players. The wide attackers play out wide weekly and can hold the ball well, take their full-back on, and enter the area to finish.

Behind this front four, Tuchel employs a double pivot consisting of one defensively strict player and a partner with attacking liberty to join the forward movement.

What solutions exist for the trio?

Foden and Bellingham would be battling with Cole Palmer, Morgan Rogers and Eberechi Eze for the creative hub, with Kane expected to lead up front.

Foden could play as the central striker, which potentially could permit both Bellingham and Foden to feature instead of Kane.

There is a potential solution all three could coexist effectively and Tuchel hinted at it this week.

"For Man City, he functions as a central or attacking midfielder, so maybe during the next months we consider him as a central midfielder," 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 number eight, next to a more defensive number six.

This would then enable Bellingham to operate as the attacking midfielder and Kane as the striker.

Irrespective of whether Tuchel opts to structure the side like this at the global tournament, what bodes well is his willingness to leave big players out in the name of balance.