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With six wins in six games, zero goals allowed and a World Cup spot secured with two group games to spare, national team coach Thomas Tuchel could suggest he has made the right selection choices.

However, in the lead-up to Thursday's home game against Serbia, he sparked a debate when he said that three of the country's best players - Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden and Harry Kane - cannot play in the same team.

"Presently, if we maintain the formation, they cannot play.

"They can but not with current tactics, not for the balance that we developed and not within the framework that incorporates wingers who are essentially experts in their positions. We play at the moment with specific numbered positions."

From automatic picks to contested places

The Manchester City and Real Madrid stars have been deployed on the flanks for England in the past, but his team selections suggest that the Manchester United forward and Bukayo Saka are his preferred options on the left and right flank respectively.

So can Bellingham, Foden and Kane play together?

Former Three Lions boss certainly thought so.

Bellingham, Foden and Kane were selected for each England's seven matches at last summer's tournament in Germany, where the national squad fell to the Spanish in the final.

In the 16 games the three have featured together, England have secured 10 victories, tied three matches and lost three, scoring 36 times and allowing 14 goals.

Tactical insight: Foden's flexibility provides alternatives

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

The young midfielder has been the main number 10 because of his strong ball-carrying, strike quality and capacity to penetrate the area when the striker drops deep.

Tuchel has discussed favoring natural flank operators. The wide attackers consistently operate in wide areas and can retain the ball skillfully, take their full-back on, and arrive in the box to score.

Behind this front four, Tuchel utilizes two central midfielders consisting of a holding midfielder and one with more license to join the forward movement.

So how could Tuchel use these three players?

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

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

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

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

Foden has been deployed in a versatile central position this season.

That has enabled him to operate from deeper areas and could categorize 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 striker.

Regardless of if Tuchel decides to set England up like this at the World Cup, what appears positive is his willingness to leave big players out in the pursuit of tactical equilibrium.