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Having secured six victories from six matches, no goals conceded and tournament placement confirmed with matches remaining, England manager Thomas Tuchel can argue he has made the right selection choices.

Yet, in the lead-up to Thursday's home game against Serbia, he initiated discussion when he claimed that three of the England's elite footballers - Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden and Harry Kane - struggle to perform in the same team.

"Currently, if we keep the structure, they are unable to feature.

"They might but not within this system, not for the balance that we developed and not within the framework that comes also with wingers who are highly specialized in their positions. We currently utilize with defensive, central, attacking midfielders and striker."

From guaranteed positions to competitive roles

Foden and Bellingham have been deployed on the flanks for England in the past, but the manager's choices suggest that the Barcelona loanee and the Gunners' star are his primary selections on the wing positions respectively.

But can Bellingham, Foden and Kane play together?

Gareth Southgate evidently thought it possible.

Bellingham, Foden and Kane featured in every England's seven matches at the European Championship in Germany, where the national squad were defeated by Spain in the final.

In the 16 matches the stars have performed together, England have triumphed 10 times, drawn three and been defeated three times, netting 36 goals and letting in 14 strikes.

Tactical insight: Foden's flexibility provides alternatives

Tuchel has employed a four-two-three-one setup that alters structure 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 number nine withdraws.

Tuchel has spoken about preferring natural flank operators. The wide attackers play out wide weekly and can maintain possession effectively, 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 one with more license to support offensive play.

Potential configurations for England's stars

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

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

There is one way all three could coexist effectively and Tuchel suggested it this week.

"With his club, he plays almost like a number eight or 10, so maybe during the next months we consider him as a number eight," he said.

Foden has been utilized as a flexible midfielder this season.

That has enabled him to operate from deeper areas and could position him as the central midfielder, next to a more defensive number six.

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

Irrespective of whether Tuchel chooses to configure the team like this at the World Cup, what bodes well is his readiness to exclude star names in the pursuit of tactical equilibrium.