England's star trio struggle to operate simultaneously - does the manager have a point?
With six wins from six matches, no goals conceded and tournament placement secured with two group games to spare, national team coach Thomas Tuchel could suggest he has chosen wisely throughout qualification.
Yet, in the build-up to Thursday's Wembley encounter 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 identical lineup.
"At the moment, if we stick with the system, they won't fit together.
"It's possible but not with current tactics, not maintaining equilibrium that we established and not within the framework that incorporates wingers who are like specialists in their positions. We presently employ with a six, eight, a 10 and a nine."
From certain starters to fighting for spots
Foden and Bellingham have been deployed on the flanks for England in the past, but Tuchel's selections indicate that the Manchester United forward and Bukayo Saka are his preferred options on the wing positions respectively.
But can Bellingham, Foden and Kane play together?
Former Three Lions boss apparently believed they could.
Bellingham, Foden and Kane were selected for each England's seven matches at Euro 2024 in Germany, where Southgate's side fell to the Spanish in the final.
In the 16 fixtures the trio have played together, England have triumphed 10 times, shared points three times and lost three, registering 36 scores and allowing 14 goals.
Analysis: Foden's versatility gives Tuchel options
Tuchel has utilized a 4-2-3-1 formation that changes shape when England attack.
The Aston Villa player has been the primary attacking midfielder because of his strong ball-carrying, shooting ability and capacity to penetrate the area when the striker drops deep.
Tuchel has mentioned preferring dedicated wide players. The Arsenal and Newcastle stars play out wide weekly and can hold the ball well, challenge defenders, and arrive in the box to score.
Supporting the attacking quartet, Tuchel employs a double pivot consisting of a holding midfielder and another with greater freedom to support offensive play.
What solutions exist for the trio?
Foden and Bellingham would be competing with other creative midfielders for the attacking midfield position, with Kane likely to start up front.
Foden could feature as the number nine, which in theory could allow both Bellingham and Foden to operate without the captain.
There is an alternative approach all three could coexist effectively and Tuchel alluded to it this week.
"For Man City, he plays almost like a central or attacking midfielder, so maybe during the next months we regard 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 number eight, alongside a holding midfielder.
This would then enable Bellingham to operate as the attacking midfielder and Kane as the nine.
Irrespective of whether Tuchel opts to structure the side like this at the global tournament, what seems encouraging is his readiness to exclude star names in the interest of team harmony.