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Having secured six victories from six matches, no goals conceded and tournament placement secured with two group games to spare, national team coach Thomas Tuchel might claim he has chosen wisely throughout qualification.

However, in the build-up to Thursday's domestic match against Serbia, he raised questions when he stated that three of the England's elite footballers - Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden and Harry Kane - struggle to perform in the equivalent formation.

"Currently, if we keep the structure, they are unable to feature.

"They might but not within this system, not for the balance that we established and not for the structure that comes also with wingers who are like specialists in their positions. We play at the moment with specific numbered positions."

From automatic picks to contested places

England's creative talents have been deployed on the flanks for England in the past, but his team selections indicate that the Barcelona loanee and the Gunners' star are his preferred options on the wide areas respectively.

But can Bellingham, Foden and Kane operate simultaneously?

The previous England manager apparently believed they could.

Bellingham, Foden and Kane were selected for each England's seven matches at the European Championship in Germany, where the national squad were defeated by Spain in the final.

In the 16 fixtures the stars have performed alongside each other, England have triumphed 10 times, tied three matches and suffered three losses, registering 36 scores and conceding 14.

Analysis: Foden's versatility gives Tuchel options

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

Morgan Rogers has been the primary attacking midfielder because of his strong ball-carrying, shooting ability and skill in entering the penalty area when the number nine withdraws.

Tuchel has discussed favoring natural flank operators. The Arsenal and Newcastle stars regularly feature on the wings and can hold the ball well, challenge defenders, and appear in scoring positions.

In midfield behind the attackers, Tuchel plays with a midfield two consisting of a holding midfielder and another with greater freedom to support offensive play.

Potential configurations for England's stars

Foden and Bellingham would be vying against other creative midfielders for the creative hub, with Kane expected to lead up front.

Foden could operate as the main forward, which theoretically could allow both Bellingham and Foden to play at Kane's expense.

There is one way all three could play in this system and Tuchel alluded to it this week.

"At Manchester City, he operates similarly to a box-to-box or creative role, so maybe during the next months we regard him as a box-to-box player," he said.

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

That has permitted him to contribute from midfield and could position him as the advanced playmaker, next to a more defensive number six.

This would then enable Bellingham to operate as the creative force and Kane as the striker.

Irrespective of whether Tuchel opts to structure the side like this at the World Cup, what seems encouraging is his willingness to leave big players out in the name of balance.