Martin O'Neill set out for Wembley to watch Aston Villa's England hopefuls last night champing at the bit to get his players back out on the training field after the disappointing 2-1 defeat by Fulham last weekend but still planning to invest his faith in youth.

The Villa manager, who is frustrated that he has been unable to work with his full squad during this international week after Sunday's setback, was hoping to see Ashley Young, Gareth Barry and Scott Carson in action against Switzerland at Wembley.

O'Neill has maintained the club's tradition of bringing through pacy talent by awarding Nathan Delfouneso his first professional contract. The Birmingham-born striker, who travelled with the first-team squad to Craven Cottage, has impressed for the under-18s and the reserve team and hopes to follow in the footsteps of Gabriel Agbonlahor, Luke Moore, Darius Vassell, Tony Daley and Mark Walters at Villa Park.

“He has been sparkling,” O'Neill said. “He will flit between the senior squad and youth team. We don't want him to become too big-headed, but he has got a chance of being a player.”

O'Neill is likely to be without Agbonlahor, who withdrew from the England squad after suffering a hamstring injury against Fulham, for the match against Newcastle United on Saturday. It would be the first time in O'Neill's reign that Agbonlahor has not figured, having played in all of last season's 42 games and all 28 this term.

“He's had the scans and there's something showing up so at the moment, you'd have to say he'd be a serious doubt for Saturday,” O'Neill said, before confirming that Curtis Davies, the defender, who was in Fabio Capello's preliminary squad of 30 players but pulled out with a knee injury, is making good progress and should feature in training today. Martin Laursen (heel) and Stiliyan Petrov (concussion) pulled out of the Denmark and Bulgaria squads respectively but hope to be fit for Saturday's match when Villa, who could have moved into fourth place in the Barclays Premier League last Sunday, will be seeking their first win in four games.

“Of all weeks, this is the one where you would want to get loads out your system in training with the players,” O'Neill said. “The challenge now is to go on an unbeaten run again.”