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With six wins in six games, zero goals allowed and tournament placement confirmed with matches remaining, national team coach Thomas Tuchel might claim he has chosen wisely throughout qualification.

Nevertheless, in the lead-up to Thursday's home game against Serbia, he initiated discussion when he stated that three of the nation's top talents - Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden and Harry Kane - struggle to perform in the identical lineup.

"Currently, if we maintain the formation, they won't fit together.

"They might but not with current tactics, not maintaining equilibrium that we developed and not in this formation that comes also with wingers who are like specialists in their positions. We play at the moment with specific numbered positions."

From guaranteed positions to competitive roles

Foden and Bellingham have been deployed on the flanks for England in the past, but his team selections imply that Marcus Rashford and the Gunners' star are his primary selections on the wing positions respectively.

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

Gareth Southgate evidently thought it possible.

Bellingham, Foden and Kane were selected for each England's seven fixtures at last summer's tournament in Germany, where Southgate's side were defeated by Spain in the final.

In the 16 fixtures the three have featured together, England have won 10, shared points three times and lost three, registering 36 scores and letting in 14 strikes.

Strategic view: Versatile Foden offers solutions

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

The Aston Villa player has been the primary attacking midfielder because of his excellent dribbling, shooting ability and ability to attack the box when the striker drops deep.

Tuchel has spoken about preferring natural flank operators. Saka and Gordon play out wide weekly and can retain the ball skillfully, take their full-back on, and arrive in the box to score.

Supporting the attacking quartet, Tuchel utilizes two central midfielders consisting of a holding midfielder and one with more license to support offensive play.

So how could Tuchel use these three players?

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

Foden could feature as the number nine, which potentially could allow both Bellingham and Foden to play at Kane's expense.

There is a potential solution all three could play in this system and Tuchel hinted at it this week.

"With his club, he plays almost like a central or attacking midfielder, so potentially in future we regard him as a central midfielder," he said.

Foden has been used in a more all-purpose midfield role this season.

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

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

No matter whether Tuchel decides to set England up like this at the international competition, what appears positive is his preparedness to omit established stars in the pursuit of tactical equilibrium.