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Having secured six victories out of six, zero goals allowed and tournament placement confirmed with matches remaining, national team coach Thomas Tuchel can argue he has chosen wisely throughout qualification.

However, in the lead-up to Thursday's home game against Serbia, he sparked a debate when he said that three of the nation's top talents - Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden and Harry Kane - are unable to feature in the identical lineup.

"Presently, if we keep the structure, they cannot play.

"They might but not in the structure, not preserving harmony that we created and not for the structure that comes also with wingers who are highly specialized in their positions. We play at the moment with specific numbered positions."

From automatic picks to contested places

England's creative talents have been deployed on the flanks for England in the past, but the manager's choices suggest that Marcus Rashford and Bukayo Saka are his first choices on the wing positions respectively.

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

Gareth Southgate apparently believed they could.

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 three have featured together, England have secured 10 victories, shared points three times and suffered three losses, registering 36 scores and letting in 14 strikes.

Strategic view: Versatile Foden offers solutions

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

Morgan Rogers has been the key creative force because of his strong ball-carrying, strike quality and skill in entering the penalty area when the striker drops deep.

Tuchel has mentioned preferring natural flank operators. The wide attackers regularly feature on the wings and can retain the ball skillfully, challenge defenders, and appear in scoring positions.

In midfield behind the attackers, Tuchel employs a double pivot consisting of a disciplined defensive presence and another with greater freedom 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 expected to lead up front.

Foden could feature 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.

"With his club, he operates similarly to a box-to-box or creative role, so maybe during the next months we regard 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, alongside a holding midfielder.

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

Irrespective of whether Tuchel decides to set England up like this at the international competition, what bodes well is his willingness to leave big players out in the interest of team harmony.