Kane, Bellingham and Foden can't fit in the same lineup - does the manager have a point?
With six wins out of six, an unbreached defense and a World Cup spot secured with two group games to spare, England manager Thomas Tuchel might claim he has got all of his big qualifying decisions correct.
Nevertheless, in the preparation for Thursday's Wembley encounter against Serbia, he raised questions when he said that three of the England's elite footballers - Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden and Harry Kane - cannot play in the same team.
"At the moment, if we maintain the formation, they won't fit together.
"They might but not within this system, not preserving harmony that we established and not within the framework that also includes wingers who are like specialists in their positions. We currently utilize with defensive, central, attacking midfielders and striker."
From automatic picks to contested places
The Manchester City and Real Madrid stars have been utilized out wide for England in the past, but his team selections imply that the Manchester United forward and Arsenal's winger are his first choices on the wide areas respectively.
So can Bellingham, Foden and Kane play together?
Gareth Southgate evidently thought it possible.
Bellingham, Foden and Kane were selected for each England's seven games at the European Championship in Germany, where Southgate's side fell to the Spanish in the final.
In the 16 fixtures the three have featured alongside each other, England have triumphed 10 times, shared points three times and been defeated three times, netting 36 goals and letting in 14 strikes.
Strategic view: Versatile Foden offers solutions
Tuchel has employed a four-two-three-one setup that alters structure when England attack.
The Aston Villa player has been the main number 10 because of his strong ball-carrying, shooting ability and ability to attack the box when the forward retreats.
Tuchel has mentioned preferring natural flank operators. Saka and Gordon regularly feature on the wings and can maintain possession effectively, engage in one-on-one situations, and appear in scoring positions.
In midfield behind the attackers, Tuchel plays with a midfield two consisting of a disciplined defensive presence and another with greater freedom to contribute to the attack.
Potential configurations for England's stars
Foden and Bellingham would be battling with other creative midfielders for the attacking midfield position, with Kane likely to start up front.
Foden could operate as the central striker, which in theory could allow both Bellingham and Foden to play at Kane's expense.
There is a potential solution all three could coexist effectively and Tuchel suggested it this week.
"At Manchester City, he plays almost like a box-to-box or creative role, 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 allowed him to take responsibility deeper and could make him an option as the central midfielder, paired with a defensive anchor.
This would then enable Bellingham to operate as the attacking midfielder and Kane as the striker.
Irrespective of whether Tuchel decides to set England up like this at the global tournament, what seems encouraging is his readiness to exclude star names in the pursuit of tactical equilibrium.
