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After achieving six consecutive triumphs from six matches, an unbreached defense and World Cup qualification assured before the final rounds, national team coach Thomas Tuchel might claim he has chosen wisely throughout qualification.

Nevertheless, in the preparation for Thursday's domestic match against Serbia, he initiated discussion when he said that three of the England's elite footballers - Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden and Harry Kane - cannot play in the identical lineup.

"At the moment, if we keep the structure, they cannot play.

"They can but not with current tactics, not for the balance that we developed and not within the framework that incorporates wingers who are highly specialized in their positions. We currently utilize with defensive, central, attacking midfielders and striker."

From certain starters to fighting for spots

England's creative talents have been deployed on the flanks for England in the past, but the manager's choices imply that Marcus Rashford and Arsenal's winger are his first choices on the left and right flank respectively.

But can Bellingham, Foden and Kane coexist in the lineup?

Gareth Southgate apparently believed they could.

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

In the 16 fixtures the three have featured alongside each other, England have triumphed 10 times, shared points three times and lost three, netting 36 goals and letting in 14 strikes.

Analysis: Foden's versatility gives Tuchel options

Tuchel has played a 4-2-3-1 system that alters structure when England attack.

The young midfielder 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 spoken about preferring specialist wingers. The Arsenal and Newcastle stars play out wide weekly and can retain the ball skillfully, engage in one-on-one situations, and arrive in the box to score.

In midfield behind the attackers, Tuchel employs a double pivot consisting of a holding midfielder and another with greater freedom to join the forward movement.

So how could Tuchel use these three players?

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

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

There is a potential solution all three could coexist effectively and Tuchel hinted at it this week.

"With his club, he operates similarly to a box-to-box or creative role, so perhaps in coming months we consider him as a box-to-box player," 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, paired with a defensive anchor.

This would then permit Bellingham to feature as the attacking midfielder and Kane as the nine.

Regardless of if Tuchel chooses to configure the team like this at the global tournament, what bodes well is his willingness to leave big players out in the interest of team harmony.