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After achieving six consecutive triumphs out of six, no goals conceded and tournament placement confirmed with matches remaining, national team coach Thomas Tuchel could suggest he has made the right selection choices.

However, in the preparation for Thursday's Wembley encounter against Serbia, he sparked a debate when he said that three of the nation's top talents - Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden and Harry Kane - struggle to perform in the equivalent formation.

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

"It's possible but not within this system, not preserving harmony that we developed and not in this formation that also includes wingers who are like specialists in their positions. We presently employ with a six, eight, a 10 and a nine."

From certain starters to fighting for spots

England's creative talents have been utilized out wide for England in the past, but Tuchel's selections suggest that Marcus Rashford and the Gunners' star are his primary selections on the wing positions respectively.

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

Former Three Lions boss certainly thought so.

Bellingham, Foden and Kane started all of England's seven games at last summer's tournament in Germany, where the national squad fell to the Spanish in the final.

In the 16 games the trio have played together, England have won 10, shared points three times and been defeated three times, registering 36 scores and letting in 14 strikes.

Strategic view: Versatile Foden offers solutions

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

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

Tuchel has mentioned preferring dedicated wide players. The wide attackers play out wide weekly and can retain the ball skillfully, take their full-back on, and arrive in the box to score.

Supporting the attacking quartet, Tuchel plays with a midfield two consisting of one defensively strict player and another with greater freedom to support offensive play.

Potential configurations for England's stars

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

Foden could play as the number nine, which potentially could allow both Bellingham and Foden to play at Kane's expense.

There is an alternative approach all three could feature together and Tuchel suggested it this week.

"At Manchester City, he operates similarly to a number eight or 10, so maybe during the next months we regard him as a central midfielder," he said.

Foden has been utilized as a flexible midfielder this season.

That has enabled him to operate from deeper areas and could categorize him as the number eight, paired with a defensive anchor.

This would then allow Bellingham to play as the number 10 and Kane as the striker.

Regardless of if Tuchel decides to set England up like this at the global tournament, what bodes well is his readiness to exclude star names in the pursuit of tactical equilibrium.