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With six wins in six games, an unbreached defense and a World Cup spot confirmed with matches remaining, Three Lions boss Thomas Tuchel could suggest he has made the right selection choices.

Nevertheless, in the lead-up to Thursday's domestic match against Serbia, he raised questions when he said that three of the nation's top talents - Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden and Harry Kane - struggle to perform in the equivalent formation.

"Currently, if we keep the structure, they cannot play.

"They can but not with current tactics, not preserving harmony that we established and not in this formation that also includes wingers who are like specialists in their positions. We play at the moment with specific numbered positions."

From guaranteed positions to competitive roles

The Manchester City and Real Madrid stars have been deployed on the flanks for England in the past, but his team selections imply that the Barcelona loanee and Bukayo Saka are his first choices on the wide areas respectively.

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

Gareth Southgate certainly thought so.

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

In the 16 matches the stars have performed simultaneously, England have triumphed 10 times, tied three matches and lost three, registering 36 scores and letting in 14 strikes.

Strategic view: Versatile Foden offers solutions

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

The young midfielder has been the primary attacking midfielder because of his excellent dribbling, strike quality and capacity to penetrate the area when the forward retreats.

Tuchel has spoken about preferring dedicated wide players. Saka and Gordon play out wide weekly and can hold the ball well, take their full-back on, and arrive in the box to score.

Supporting the attacking quartet, Tuchel utilizes two central midfielders consisting of a disciplined defensive presence 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 expected to lead up front.

Foden could play as the central striker, which potentially could enable both Bellingham and Foden to play at Kane's expense.

There is an alternative approach 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 maybe during the next months we consider him as a central midfielder," 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 advanced playmaker, next to a more defensive number six.

This would then allow Bellingham to play as the attacking midfielder and Kane as the striker.

No matter whether Tuchel chooses to configure the team like this at the international competition, what bodes well is his preparedness to omit established stars in the interest of team harmony.