Three Lions' top talents can't fit in the same lineup - does the manager have a point?
Having secured six victories from six matches, zero goals allowed and tournament placement assured before the final rounds, national team coach Thomas Tuchel might claim he has got all of his big qualifying decisions correct.
However, in the preparation for 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 - cannot play in the equivalent formation.
"Currently, if we maintain the formation, they cannot play.
"They can but not with current tactics, not preserving harmony that we established and not in this formation that incorporates wingers who are highly specialized in their positions. We currently utilize with defensive, central, attacking midfielders and striker."
From automatic picks to contested places
England's creative talents have been deployed on the flanks for England in the past, but Tuchel's selections suggest that Marcus Rashford and Bukayo Saka are his primary selections on the left and right flank respectively.
But can Bellingham, Foden and Kane play together?
Former Three Lions boss certainly thought so.
Bellingham, Foden and Kane started all of England's seven games at Euro 2024 in Germany, where the national squad were defeated by Spain in the final.
In the 16 matches the three have featured alongside each other, England have won 10, tied three matches and been defeated three times, registering 36 scores and allowing 14 goals.
Analysis: Foden's versatility gives Tuchel options
Tuchel has employed a four-two-three-one setup that changes shape when England attack.
The Aston Villa player has been the main number 10 because of his impressive ball progression, strike quality and ability to attack the box when the number nine withdraws.
Tuchel has discussed favoring dedicated wide players. The wide attackers regularly feature on the wings and can maintain possession effectively, take their full-back on, and arrive in the box to score.
Behind this front four, Tuchel employs a double pivot consisting of a holding midfielder and another with greater freedom to join the forward movement.
What solutions exist for the trio?
Foden and Bellingham would be competing with attacking alternatives for the attacking midfield position, with Kane likely to start up front.
Foden could operate as the number nine, which potentially could allow both Bellingham and Foden to feature instead of Kane.
There is an alternative approach all three could play in this system and Tuchel alluded to it this week.
"At Manchester City, he operates similarly to a central or attacking midfielder, so perhaps in coming months we consider him as a box-to-box player," he said.
Foden has been deployed in a versatile central position this season.
That has enabled him to operate from deeper areas and could position 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 nine.
No matter whether Tuchel chooses to configure the team like this at the global tournament, what bodes well is his willingness to leave big players out in the name of balance.