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Having secured six victories in six games, zero goals allowed and a World Cup spot confirmed with matches remaining, England manager Thomas Tuchel can argue he has got all of his big qualifying decisions correct.

Nevertheless, in the preparation for Thursday's home game against Serbia, he initiated discussion when he claimed that three of the England's elite footballers - Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden and Harry Kane - are unable to feature in the equivalent formation.

"Currently, if we maintain the formation, they won't fit together.

"They might but not with current tactics, not preserving harmony that we established and not in this formation that comes also with wingers who are highly specialized in their positions. We play at the moment with a six, eight, a 10 and a nine."

From automatic picks to contested places

England's creative talents have been utilized out wide for England in the past, but his team selections suggest that the Barcelona loanee and Bukayo Saka are his preferred options on the wing positions respectively.

The question remains whether 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 matches the three have featured alongside each other, England have triumphed 10 times, shared points three times and been defeated three times, scoring 36 times and letting in 14 strikes.

Strategic view: Versatile Foden offers solutions

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

The young midfielder has been the main number 10 because of his strong ball-carrying, shooting ability and ability to attack the box when the forward retreats.

Tuchel has spoken about preferring specialist wingers. The wide attackers consistently operate in wide areas and can maintain possession effectively, take their full-back on, and appear in scoring positions.

In midfield behind the attackers, Tuchel utilizes two central midfielders consisting of a holding midfielder and a partner with attacking liberty 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 number 10 role, with Kane likely to start up front.

Foden could feature as the number nine, which in theory could allow both Bellingham and Foden to operate without the captain.

There is an alternative approach all three could coexist effectively and Tuchel alluded to it this week.

"At Manchester City, he functions as a number eight or 10, 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, next to a more defensive number six.

This would then permit Bellingham to feature as the number 10 and Kane as the striker.

Irrespective of whether Tuchel decides to set England up like this at the global tournament, what bodes well is his willingness to leave big players out in the pursuit of tactical equilibrium.