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Having secured six victories from six matches, an unbreached defense and tournament placement secured with two group games to spare, national team coach Thomas Tuchel might claim he has chosen wisely throughout qualification.

Nevertheless, in the preparation for Thursday's Wembley encounter against Serbia, he initiated discussion when he said that three of the England's elite footballers - Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden and Harry Kane - are unable to feature in the identical lineup.

"Presently, if we stick with the system, they are unable to feature.

"They can but not within this system, not for the balance that we established and not for the structure that comes also with wingers who are highly specialized in their positions. We play at the moment with defensive, central, attacking midfielders and striker."

From automatic picks to contested places

Foden and Bellingham have been deployed on the flanks for England in the past, but the manager's choices indicate that the Barcelona loanee and Bukayo Saka are his first choices on the wing positions respectively.

So can Bellingham, Foden and Kane play together?

The previous England manager certainly thought so.

Bellingham, Foden and Kane started all of England's seven fixtures at the European Championship in Germany, where the national squad lost to Spain in the final.

In the 16 fixtures the three have featured together, England have won 10, tied three matches and suffered three losses, registering 36 scores and conceding 14.

Analysis: Foden's versatility gives Tuchel options

Tuchel has employed a four-two-three-one setup that changes shape when England attack.

Morgan Rogers has been the primary attacking midfielder because of his strong ball-carrying, strike quality and skill in entering the penalty area when the number nine withdraws.

Tuchel has spoken about preferring natural flank operators. The wide attackers regularly feature on the wings and can hold the ball well, take their full-back on, and enter the area to finish.

In midfield behind the attackers, Tuchel plays with a midfield two consisting of one defensively strict player and a partner with attacking liberty to support offensive play.

So how could Tuchel use these three players?

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

Foden could play as the main forward, which potentially could allow both Bellingham and Foden to operate without the captain.

There is an alternative approach all three could play in this system and Tuchel suggested it this week.

"At Manchester City, he functions as 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 deployed in a versatile central position this season.

That has allowed him to take responsibility deeper and could position him 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 center forward.

Irrespective of whether Tuchel opts to structure the side like this at the global tournament, what bodes well is his readiness to exclude star names in the pursuit of tactical equilibrium.