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After achieving six consecutive triumphs in six games, an unbreached defense and tournament placement assured before the final rounds, national team coach Thomas Tuchel can argue he has chosen wisely throughout qualification.

Nevertheless, in the preparation for Thursday's Wembley encounter against Serbia, he sparked a debate when he said that three of the England's elite footballers - Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden and Harry Kane - cannot play in the same team.

"Currently, if we maintain the formation, they are unable to feature.

"They might but not within this system, not preserving harmony that we created and not within the framework that comes also with wingers who are highly specialized in their positions. We presently employ with defensive, central, attacking midfielders and striker."

From automatic picks to contested places

Foden and Bellingham have been deployed on the flanks for England in the past, but the manager's choices indicate that the Barcelona loanee and the Gunners' star are his preferred options on the wide areas respectively.

The question remains whether Bellingham, Foden and Kane coexist in the lineup?

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 fell to the Spanish in the final.

In the 16 games the three have featured simultaneously, England have triumphed 10 times, shared points three times and been defeated three times, scoring 36 times and conceding 14.

Strategic view: Versatile Foden offers solutions

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

The Aston Villa player has been the primary attacking midfielder because of his strong ball-carrying, shooting ability and skill in entering the penalty area when the forward retreats.

Tuchel has mentioned preferring natural flank operators. The Arsenal and Newcastle stars regularly feature on the wings and can hold the ball well, take their full-back on, and arrive in the box to score.

Supporting the attacking quartet, Tuchel plays with a midfield two consisting of a holding midfielder and another with greater freedom to join the forward movement.

So how could Tuchel use these three players?

Foden and Bellingham would be vying against other creative midfielders for the attacking midfield position, with Kane expected to lead up front.

Foden could operate as the central striker, which in theory could allow both Bellingham and Foden to play at Kane's expense.

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

"For Man City, he operates similarly to a central or attacking midfielder, so potentially in future we consider him as a box-to-box player," he said.

Foden has been utilized as a flexible midfielder this season.

That has allowed him to take responsibility deeper and could make him an option as the advanced playmaker, alongside a holding midfielder.

This would then permit Bellingham to feature as the number 10 and Kane as the striker.

No matter whether Tuchel decides to set England up like this at the World Cup, what seems encouraging is his readiness to exclude star names in the interest of team harmony.