Kane, Bellingham and Foden struggle to play together - does the manager have a point?

After achieving six consecutive triumphs in six games, zero goals allowed and tournament placement secured with two group games to spare, England manager Thomas Tuchel might claim he has made the right selection choices.

Nevertheless, in the lead-up to Thursday's domestic match against Serbia, he sparked a debate when he stated that three of the nation's top talents - Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden and Harry Kane - struggle to perform in the identical lineup.

"Presently, if we stick with the system, they cannot play.

"They might but not within this system, not maintaining equilibrium that we developed and not in this formation that comes also with wingers who are like specialists in their positions. We currently utilize with a six, eight, a 10 and a nine."

From automatic picks to contested places

The Manchester City and Real Madrid stars have been utilized out wide for England in the past, but Tuchel's selections imply that Marcus Rashford and the Gunners' star are his first choices on the left and right flank respectively.

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

Gareth Southgate apparently believed they could.

Bellingham, Foden and Kane featured in every England's seven games at last summer's tournament in Germany, where the England team fell to the Spanish in the final.

In the 16 fixtures the three have featured simultaneously, England have secured 10 victories, tied three matches and suffered three losses, scoring 36 times and conceding 14.

Analysis: Foden's versatility gives Tuchel options

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

Morgan Rogers has been the main number 10 because of his strong ball-carrying, strike quality and capacity to penetrate the area when the striker drops deep.

Tuchel has mentioned preferring specialist wingers. The Arsenal and Newcastle stars consistently operate in wide areas and can maintain possession effectively, engage in one-on-one situations, and enter the area to finish.

Behind this front four, Tuchel plays with a midfield two 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 competing with other creative midfielders for the number 10 role, with Kane probably featuring up front.

Foden could feature as the number nine, which potentially could allow both Bellingham and Foden to feature instead of Kane.

There is an alternative approach all three could coexist effectively and Tuchel suggested it this week.

"With his club, he operates similarly to a central or attacking midfielder, so potentially in future we regard him as a box-to-box player," he said.

Foden has been utilized as a flexible midfielder this season.

That has permitted him to contribute from midfield and could position him as the central midfielder, alongside a holding midfielder.

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

Regardless of if Tuchel chooses to configure the team like this at the World Cup, what appears positive is his readiness to exclude star names in the interest of team harmony.