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With six wins out of six, an unbreached defense and a World Cup spot assured before the final rounds, England manager Thomas Tuchel could suggest he has made the right selection choices.

Yet, in the build-up to Thursday's domestic match against Serbia, he sparked a debate when he said that three of the country's best players - Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden and Harry Kane - struggle to perform in the same team.

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

"They can but not in the structure, not maintaining equilibrium that we developed and not within the framework that also includes 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 his team selections imply that Marcus Rashford and the Gunners' star are his primary selections on the wide areas respectively.

But can Bellingham, Foden and Kane play together?

The previous England manager apparently believed they could.

Bellingham, Foden and Kane started all of England's seven games at Euro 2024 in Germany, where Southgate's side lost to Spain in the final.

In the 16 fixtures the three have featured together, England have secured 10 victories, tied three matches and been defeated three times, scoring 36 times and allowing 14 goals.

Analysis: Foden's versatility gives Tuchel options

Tuchel has employed a four-two-three-one setup that alters structure when England attack.

Morgan Rogers has been the main number 10 because of his excellent dribbling, strike quality and capacity to penetrate the area when the striker drops deep.

Tuchel has discussed favoring specialist wingers. The wide attackers play out wide weekly and can retain the ball skillfully, 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.

Potential configurations for England's stars

Foden and Bellingham would be competing with Cole Palmer, Morgan Rogers and Eberechi Eze for the attacking midfield position, with Kane expected to lead up front.

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

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

"For Man City, he operates similarly to a central or attacking midfielder, so maybe during the next months we regard him as a box-to-box player," he said.

Foden has been deployed in a versatile central position this season.

That has permitted him to contribute from midfield and could make him an option as the number eight, alongside a holding midfielder.

This would then enable Bellingham to operate as the creative force and Kane as the center forward.

Irrespective of whether Tuchel opts to structure the side like this at the global tournament, what seems encouraging is his preparedness to omit established stars in the interest of team harmony.