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After achieving six consecutive triumphs from six matches, no goals conceded and tournament placement confirmed with matches remaining, Three Lions boss Thomas Tuchel could suggest he has made the right selection choices.

Nevertheless, in the build-up to Thursday's home game against Serbia, he raised questions when he said that three of the country's best players - Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden and Harry Kane - struggle to perform in the equivalent formation.

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

"They can but not with current tactics, not for the balance that we created and not for the structure that comes also with wingers who are highly specialized in their positions. We currently utilize with defensive, central, attacking midfielders and striker."

From automatic picks to contested places

The Manchester City and Real Madrid stars have been used in wide positions for England in the past, but the manager's choices indicate that Marcus Rashford and the Gunners' star are his preferred options on the wide areas respectively.

But can Bellingham, Foden and Kane coexist in the lineup?

Former Three Lions boss certainly thought so.

Bellingham, Foden and Kane featured in every England's seven fixtures at last summer's tournament in Germany, where the England team lost to Spain in the final.

In the 16 matches the three have featured alongside each other, England have triumphed 10 times, shared points three times and lost three, registering 36 scores and allowing 14 goals.

Tactical insight: Foden's flexibility provides alternatives

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

The Aston Villa player has been the key creative force because of his excellent dribbling, ball-striking and capacity to penetrate the area when the forward retreats.

Tuchel has spoken about preferring natural flank operators. Saka and Gordon regularly feature on the wings and can retain the ball skillfully, take their full-back on, and appear in scoring positions.

Behind this front four, Tuchel utilizes two central midfielders consisting of one defensively strict player and another with greater freedom to join the forward movement.

Potential configurations for England's stars

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

Foden could operate as the central striker, which potentially could allow both Bellingham and Foden to play at Kane's expense.

There is one way all three could feature together and Tuchel hinted at it this week.

"At Manchester City, he functions as a central or attacking midfielder, so potentially in future we view him as a box-to-box player," he said.

Foden has been used in a more all-purpose midfield role this season.

That has permitted him to contribute from midfield and could make him an option as the number eight, next to a more defensive number six.

This would then permit Bellingham to feature as the creative force and Kane as the striker.

No matter whether Tuchel opts to structure the side like this at the World Cup, what seems encouraging is his readiness to exclude star names in the interest of team harmony.