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Having secured six victories in six games, an unbreached defense and tournament placement assured before the final rounds, Three Lions boss Thomas Tuchel might claim he has made the right selection choices.

Yet, in the lead-up to Thursday's domestic match against Serbia, he raised questions when he claimed that three of the country's best players - Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden and Harry Kane - cannot play in the same team.

"Presently, if we keep the structure, they cannot play.

"They might but not within this system, not preserving harmony that we established and not within the framework that incorporates wingers who are essentially experts in their positions. We currently utilize with a six, eight, a 10 and a nine."

From certain starters to fighting for spots

The Manchester City and Real Madrid stars have been used in wide positions for England in the past, but the manager's choices indicate that the Barcelona loanee and Bukayo Saka are his preferred options on the wide areas respectively.

So can Bellingham, Foden and Kane operate simultaneously?

The previous England manager certainly thought so.

Bellingham, Foden and Kane were selected for each England's seven games at Euro 2024 in Germany, where the national squad fell to the Spanish in the final.

In the 16 fixtures the three have featured simultaneously, England have secured 10 victories, drawn three and suffered three losses, netting 36 goals and letting in 14 strikes.

Analysis: Foden's versatility gives Tuchel options

Tuchel has played a 4-2-3-1 system that alters structure when England attack.

The Aston Villa player has been the primary attacking midfielder because of his strong ball-carrying, ball-striking and capacity to penetrate the area when the striker drops deep.

Tuchel has discussed favoring natural flank operators. The Arsenal and Newcastle stars regularly feature on the wings and can hold the ball well, engage in one-on-one situations, and appear in scoring positions.

Behind this front four, Tuchel plays with a midfield two consisting of a disciplined defensive presence and a partner with attacking liberty to support offensive play.

So how could Tuchel use these three players?

Foden and Bellingham would be battling with other creative midfielders for the number 10 role, with Kane expected to lead up front.

Foden could play as the number nine, which in theory could enable both Bellingham and Foden to feature instead of Kane.

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

"At Manchester City, he plays almost like a number eight or 10, so perhaps in coming months we view him as a number eight," he said.

Foden has been utilized as a flexible midfielder this season.

That has permitted him to contribute from midfield and could position him as the number eight, paired with a defensive anchor.

This would then enable Bellingham to operate as the attacking midfielder and Kane as the center forward.

No matter whether Tuchel decides to set England up like this at the World Cup, what seems encouraging is his willingness to leave big players out in the interest of team harmony.