Kane, Bellingham and Foden can't fit in the same lineup - is Tuchel right?
With six wins out of six, no goals conceded and World Cup qualification assured before the final rounds, England manager Thomas Tuchel could suggest he has chosen wisely throughout qualification.
Yet, in the lead-up to Thursday's home game against Serbia, he initiated discussion when he claimed that three of the nation's top talents - Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden and Harry Kane - struggle to perform in the identical lineup.
"At the moment, if we keep the structure, they cannot play.
"They can but not with current tactics, not preserving harmony that we developed and not for the structure that incorporates wingers who are like specialists in their positions. We presently employ with specific numbered positions."
From automatic picks to contested places
The Manchester City and Real Madrid stars have been utilized out wide for England in the past, but the manager's choices indicate that the Manchester United forward and Arsenal's winger are his primary selections on the wide areas respectively.
So can Bellingham, Foden and Kane play together?
Gareth Southgate apparently believed they could.
Bellingham, Foden and Kane featured in every England's seven fixtures at the European Championship in Germany, where Southgate's side were defeated by Spain in the final.
In the 16 matches the three have featured together, England have secured 10 victories, shared points three times and been defeated three times, registering 36 scores and allowing 14 goals.
Tactical insight: Foden's flexibility provides alternatives
Tuchel has employed a four-two-three-one setup that changes shape when England attack.
The young midfielder has been the key creative force because of his excellent dribbling, strike quality and skill in entering the penalty area when the number nine withdraws.
Tuchel has discussed favoring dedicated wide players. The Arsenal and Newcastle stars regularly feature on the wings and can retain the ball skillfully, take their full-back on, and arrive in the box to score.
Supporting the attacking quartet, Tuchel employs a double pivot consisting of one defensively strict player and a partner with attacking liberty to contribute to the attack.
So how could Tuchel use these three players?
Foden and Bellingham would be competing with Cole Palmer, Morgan Rogers and Eberechi Eze for the creative hub, with Kane likely to start up front.
Foden could feature as the number nine, which potentially could enable both Bellingham and Foden to operate without the captain.
There is a potential solution all three could coexist effectively and Tuchel hinted at it this week.
"With his club, he plays almost like a box-to-box or creative role, 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 allowed him to take responsibility deeper and could categorize him as the advanced playmaker, next to a more defensive number six.
This would then permit Bellingham to feature as the attacking midfielder and Kane as the center forward.
No matter whether Tuchel opts to structure the side like this at the international competition, what bodes well is his willingness to leave big players out in the pursuit of tactical equilibrium.