England's star trio can't fit in the same lineup - is Tuchel right?

After achieving six consecutive triumphs out of six, an unbreached defense and tournament placement assured before the final rounds, national team coach Thomas Tuchel can argue he has got all of his big qualifying decisions correct.

However, in the lead-up to Thursday's home game against Serbia, he initiated discussion when he said that three of the England's elite footballers - Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden and Harry Kane - struggle to perform in the identical lineup.

"Presently, if we maintain the formation, they cannot play.

"They can but not within this system, not for the balance that we created and not in this formation that also includes wingers who are highly specialized 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 used in wide positions for England in the past, but Tuchel's selections imply that Marcus Rashford and Bukayo Saka are his primary selections on the wide areas respectively.

The question remains whether Bellingham, Foden and Kane coexist in the lineup?

Former Three Lions boss evidently thought it possible.

Bellingham, Foden and Kane started all of England's seven games at last summer's tournament in Germany, where the England team were defeated by Spain in the final.

In the 16 fixtures the trio have played simultaneously, England have won 10, tied three matches and suffered three losses, scoring 36 times and letting in 14 strikes.

Tactical insight: Foden's flexibility provides alternatives

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

Morgan Rogers has been the main number 10 because of his excellent dribbling, strike quality and ability to attack the box when the forward retreats.

Tuchel has spoken about preferring dedicated wide players. The wide attackers play out wide weekly and can maintain possession effectively, take their full-back on, and appear in scoring positions.

In midfield behind the attackers, Tuchel utilizes two central midfielders consisting of one defensively strict player and another with greater freedom to contribute to the attack.

So how could Tuchel use these three players?

Foden and Bellingham would be competing with other creative midfielders for the attacking midfield position, with Kane expected to lead up front.

Foden could play as the number nine, which potentially could permit both Bellingham and Foden to operate without the captain.

There is one way all three could coexist effectively and Tuchel alluded to it this week.

"For Man City, he functions as a central or attacking midfielder, so maybe during the next months we view him as a number eight," he said.

Foden has been utilized as a flexible midfielder this season.

That has enabled him to operate from deeper areas and could categorize him as the number eight, next to a more defensive number six.

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

Regardless of if Tuchel chooses to configure the team like this at the global tournament, what bodes well is his readiness to exclude star names in the interest of team harmony.