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With six wins in six games, an unbreached defense and tournament placement confirmed with matches remaining, national team coach Thomas Tuchel might claim he has got all of his big qualifying decisions correct.

Nevertheless, in the build-up to Thursday's Wembley encounter against Serbia, he sparked a debate when he claimed that three of the England's elite footballers - Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden and Harry Kane - struggle to perform in the equivalent formation.

"At the moment, if we stick with the system, they won't fit together.

"They might but not with current tactics, not maintaining equilibrium that we developed and not within the framework that also includes wingers who are like specialists in their positions. We presently employ with a six, eight, a 10 and a nine."

From certain starters to fighting for spots

Foden and Bellingham have been utilized out wide for England in the past, but the manager's choices indicate that Marcus Rashford and Arsenal's winger are his first choices on the left and right flank respectively.

The question remains whether Bellingham, Foden and Kane play together?

Former Three Lions boss evidently thought it possible.

Bellingham, Foden and Kane featured in every England's seven games at the European Championship in Germany, where Southgate's side fell to the Spanish in the final.

In the 16 fixtures the trio have played together, England have secured 10 victories, tied three matches and suffered three losses, netting 36 goals and conceding 14.

Analysis: Foden's versatility gives Tuchel options

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

Morgan Rogers has been the main number 10 because of his strong ball-carrying, shooting ability and ability to attack the box when the number nine withdraws.

Tuchel has discussed favoring specialist wingers. The wide attackers play out wide weekly and can retain the ball skillfully, challenge defenders, and appear in scoring positions.

Supporting the attacking quartet, Tuchel employs a double pivot consisting of one defensively strict player and one with more license to support offensive play.

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 expected to lead up front.

Foden could feature as the number nine, which theoretically could enable 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 functions as a number eight or 10, so perhaps in coming months we regard 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 categorize him as the central midfielder, alongside a holding midfielder.

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

No matter whether Tuchel decides to set England up like this at the global tournament, what bodes well is his readiness to exclude star names in the pursuit of tactical equilibrium.