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Having secured six victories from six matches, an unbreached defense and tournament placement secured with two group games to spare, national team coach Thomas Tuchel might claim he has made the right selection choices.

However, in the preparation for Thursday's home game against Serbia, he sparked a debate when he claimed that three of the England's elite footballers - Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden and Harry Kane - are unable to feature in the equivalent formation.

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

"It's possible but not within this system, not maintaining equilibrium that we created and not within the framework that also includes wingers who are like specialists in their positions. We play at the moment with a six, eight, a 10 and a nine."

From guaranteed positions to competitive roles

England's creative talents have been deployed on the flanks for England in the past, but Tuchel's selections indicate that the Manchester United forward and the Gunners' star are his preferred options on the wing positions respectively.

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

The previous England manager certainly thought so.

Bellingham, Foden and Kane featured in every England's seven fixtures at last summer's tournament in Germany, where the England team lost to Spain in the final.

In the 16 matches the three have featured alongside each other, England have triumphed 10 times, drawn three and lost three, registering 36 scores 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 primary attacking midfielder 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 dedicated wide players. The Arsenal and Newcastle stars regularly feature on the wings and can hold the ball well, engage in one-on-one situations, and arrive in the box to score.

In midfield behind the attackers, Tuchel utilizes two central midfielders consisting of a disciplined defensive presence and another with greater freedom to support offensive play.

What solutions exist for the trio?

Foden and Bellingham would be vying against other creative midfielders for the creative hub, 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 a potential solution all three could coexist effectively and Tuchel suggested it this week.

"At Manchester City, he plays almost like a number eight or 10, so potentially in future we view him as a central midfielder," he said.

Foden has been deployed in a versatile central position this season.

That has permitted him to contribute from midfield and could make him an option as the advanced playmaker, paired with a defensive anchor.

This would then allow Bellingham to play as the creative force and Kane as the nine.

No matter whether Tuchel chooses to configure the team like this at the international competition, what seems encouraging is his willingness to leave big players out in the name of balance.