Three Lions' top talents can't play together - is Tuchel right?

With six wins out of six, no goals conceded and World Cup qualification assured before the final rounds, national team coach Thomas Tuchel can argue he has made the right selection choices.

Yet, in the preparation for Thursday's home game 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.

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

"It's possible but not in the structure, not preserving harmony that we established 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

The Manchester City and Real Madrid stars have been deployed on the flanks for England in the past, but the manager's choices indicate that the Barcelona loanee and Arsenal's winger are his preferred options on the wing positions respectively.

But can Bellingham, Foden and Kane play together?

The previous England manager certainly thought so.

Bellingham, Foden and Kane started all of England's seven matches at the European Championship in Germany, where the national squad fell to the Spanish in the final.

In the 16 fixtures the stars have performed alongside each other, England have secured 10 victories, shared points three times and been defeated three times, netting 36 goals and allowing 14 goals.

Tactical insight: Foden's flexibility provides alternatives

Tuchel has played a 4-2-3-1 system that changes shape when England attack.

Morgan Rogers has been the key creative force because of his impressive ball progression, strike quality and skill in entering the penalty area when the number nine withdraws.

Tuchel has mentioned preferring natural flank operators. Saka and Gordon regularly feature on the wings and can maintain possession effectively, take their full-back on, and appear in scoring positions.

Behind this front four, Tuchel plays with a midfield two consisting of a holding midfielder and one with more license to support offensive play.

What solutions exist for the trio?

Foden and Bellingham would be competing with attacking alternatives for the attacking midfield position, with Kane probably featuring up front.

Foden could play as the number nine, which theoretically could permit both Bellingham and Foden to feature instead of Kane.

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

"With his club, he functions as a box-to-box or creative role, so perhaps in coming months we regard him as a number eight," 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 position him as the central midfielder, alongside a holding midfielder.

This would then allow Bellingham to play as the number 10 and Kane as the center forward.

Irrespective of whether Tuchel decides to set England up like this at the international competition, what appears positive is his readiness to exclude star names in the interest of team harmony.