Kane, Bellingham and Foden can't play together - does the manager have a point?
Having secured six victories out of six, an unbreached defense and World Cup qualification assured before the final rounds, Three Lions boss Thomas Tuchel can argue he has made the right selection choices.
Nevertheless, in the lead-up to Thursday's Wembley encounter against Serbia, he sparked a debate when he claimed that three of the England's elite footballers - Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden and Harry Kane - are unable to feature in the same team.
"Currently, if we stick with the system, they won't fit together.
"They might but not in the structure, not maintaining equilibrium that we developed and not for the structure that comes also with wingers who are like specialists in their positions. We presently employ with a six, eight, a 10 and a nine."
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 imply that Marcus Rashford and the Gunners' star are his preferred options on the wing positions respectively.
But can Bellingham, Foden and Kane play together?
Gareth Southgate apparently believed they could.
Bellingham, Foden and Kane featured in every England's seven games at last summer's tournament in Germany, where Southgate's side fell to the Spanish in the final.
In the 16 games the three have featured simultaneously, England have triumphed 10 times, tied three matches and suffered three losses, netting 36 goals and conceding 14.
Analysis: Foden's versatility gives Tuchel options
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 strong ball-carrying, strike quality and skill in entering the penalty area when the striker drops deep.
Tuchel has discussed favoring specialist wingers. The Arsenal and Newcastle stars consistently operate in wide areas and can maintain possession effectively, challenge defenders, and arrive in the box to score.
Behind this front four, Tuchel employs a double pivot consisting of a disciplined defensive presence and another with greater freedom to support offensive play.
Potential configurations for England's stars
Foden and Bellingham would be battling with other creative midfielders for the creative hub, with Kane probably featuring up front.
Foden could operate as the central striker, which theoretically could permit both Bellingham and Foden to feature instead of Kane.
There is an alternative approach all three could coexist effectively and Tuchel alluded to it this week.
"At Manchester City, he functions as a number eight or 10, so perhaps in coming months we regard him as a central midfielder," he said.
Foden has been used in a more all-purpose midfield role this season.
That has allowed him to take responsibility deeper and could make him an option as the number eight, next to a more defensive number six.
This would then enable Bellingham to operate as the attacking midfielder and Kane as the striker.
Regardless of if Tuchel opts to structure the side like this at the international competition, what seems encouraging is his willingness to leave big players out in the pursuit of tactical equilibrium.