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After achieving six consecutive triumphs in six games, no goals conceded and World Cup qualification secured with two group games to spare, Three Lions boss Thomas Tuchel could suggest he has made the right selection choices.

Nevertheless, in the build-up to Thursday's domestic match against Serbia, he raised questions 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 keep the structure, they won't fit together.

"They might but not in the structure, not for the balance that we established and not in this formation that incorporates wingers who are like specialists in their positions. We currently utilize with a six, eight, a 10 and a nine."

From guaranteed positions to competitive roles

England's creative talents have been deployed on the flanks for England in the past, but his team selections imply that the Barcelona loanee and Arsenal's winger are his preferred options on the wing positions respectively.

So can Bellingham, Foden and Kane coexist in the lineup?

The previous England manager apparently believed they could.

Bellingham, Foden and Kane were selected for each England's seven fixtures at Euro 2024 in Germany, where the England team were defeated by Spain in the final.

In the 16 matches the three have featured alongside each other, England have triumphed 10 times, tied three matches and lost three, registering 36 scores and conceding 14.

Analysis: Foden's versatility gives Tuchel options

Tuchel has employed a four-two-three-one setup that transforms formation when England attack.

Morgan Rogers has been the primary attacking midfielder because of his impressive ball progression, shooting ability and skill in entering the penalty area when the striker drops deep.

Tuchel has discussed favoring specialist wingers. Saka and Gordon regularly feature on the wings and can retain the ball skillfully, take their full-back on, and enter the area to finish.

Supporting the attacking quartet, Tuchel utilizes two central midfielders consisting of a disciplined defensive presence and another with greater freedom to join the forward movement.

So how could Tuchel use these three players?

Foden and Bellingham would be battling with Cole Palmer, Morgan Rogers and Eberechi Eze for the creative hub, with Kane probably featuring up front.

Foden could feature as the number nine, which theoretically could enable both Bellingham and Foden to operate without the captain.

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

"For Man City, he plays almost like a box-to-box or creative role, so potentially in future we regard him as a box-to-box player," he said.

Foden has been utilized as a flexible midfielder this season.

That has permitted him to contribute from midfield and could categorize him as the number eight, next to a more defensive number six.

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

Regardless of if Tuchel opts to structure the side like this at the World Cup, what bodes well is his readiness to exclude star names in the name of balance.