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After achieving six consecutive triumphs 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.

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

"Presently, if we stick with the system, they cannot play.

"They can but not within this system, not preserving harmony that we created and not for the structure that comes also with wingers who are like specialists in their positions. We currently utilize with defensive, central, attacking midfielders and striker."

From certain starters to fighting for spots

Foden and Bellingham have been used in wide positions for England in the past, but his team selections suggest that the Barcelona loanee and Arsenal's winger are his primary selections on the wing positions respectively.

But can Bellingham, Foden and Kane operate simultaneously?

Gareth Southgate evidently thought it possible.

Bellingham, Foden and Kane featured in every England's seven fixtures at the European Championship in Germany, where Southgate's side lost to Spain in the final.

In the 16 games the stars have performed together, England have secured 10 victories, shared points three times and been defeated three times, registering 36 scores and conceding 14.

Strategic view: Versatile Foden offers solutions

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

Morgan Rogers has been the main number 10 because of his excellent dribbling, ball-striking and capacity to penetrate the area when the number nine withdraws.

Tuchel has spoken about preferring dedicated wide players. The wide attackers regularly feature on the wings and can maintain possession effectively, challenge defenders, and enter the area to finish.

Supporting the attacking quartet, Tuchel employs a double pivot consisting of one defensively strict player 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 Cole Palmer, Morgan Rogers and Eberechi Eze for the number 10 role, with Kane likely to start up front.

Foden could play as the main forward, which in theory could allow both Bellingham and Foden to operate without the captain.

There is an alternative approach all three could feature together and Tuchel suggested it this week.

"For Man City, he functions as a box-to-box or creative role, so potentially in future we view 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 make him an option as the central midfielder, next to a more defensive number six.

This would then enable Bellingham to operate as the number 10 and Kane as the nine.

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