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With six wins in six games, no goals conceded and World Cup qualification secured with two group games to spare, England manager Thomas Tuchel might claim he has got all of his big qualifying decisions correct.

Yet, in the lead-up to Thursday's domestic match against Serbia, he sparked a debate when he stated that three of the England's elite footballers - Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden and Harry Kane - cannot play in the same team.

"Presently, if we stick with the system, they won't fit together.

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

From certain starters to fighting for spots

Foden and Bellingham have been utilized out wide for England in the past, but his team selections imply that Marcus Rashford and the Gunners' star are his first choices on the wing positions respectively.

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

Gareth Southgate evidently thought it possible.

Bellingham, Foden and Kane featured in every England's seven games at the European Championship in Germany, where the national squad lost to Spain in the final.

In the 16 fixtures the trio have played alongside each other, England have won 10, drawn three and been defeated three times, netting 36 goals and letting in 14 strikes.

Analysis: Foden's versatility gives Tuchel options

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

Morgan Rogers has been the key creative force because of his strong ball-carrying, strike quality and capacity to penetrate the area when the striker drops deep.

Tuchel has spoken about preferring specialist wingers. The wide attackers play out wide weekly and can retain the ball skillfully, engage in one-on-one situations, and arrive in the box to score.

Supporting the attacking quartet, Tuchel employs a double pivot consisting of one defensively strict player and another with greater freedom to join the forward movement.

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 probably featuring up front.

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

There is one way all three could play in this system and Tuchel alluded to it this week.

"For Man City, he plays almost like a number eight or 10, so maybe during the next months we consider him as a box-to-box player," he said.

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

That has enabled him to operate from deeper areas and could make him an option as the advanced playmaker, paired with a defensive anchor.

This would then allow Bellingham to play as the creative force and Kane as the nine.

Irrespective of whether Tuchel decides to set England up like this at the international competition, what seems encouraging is his preparedness to omit established stars in the name of balance.