Gabriel Agbonlahor, the Aston Villa forward, says that he is determined to restate his case for senior England recognition after being denied the chance to make his international debut this month. The 21-year-old had been named in Fabio Capello’s first squad as England manager but had to withdraw after damaging a hamstring during Villa’s 2-1 defeat by Fulham three days before the friendly match against Switzerland at Wembley.

Agbonlahor missed his club side’s 4-1 thrashing of Newcastle United 15 days ago but returned in style at the Madejski Stadium on Sunday as Villa earned a 2-1 win.

“It was a massive disappointment having to miss out on England,” Agbonlahor said. “I couldn’t believe it had to happen that week of all weeks. Going up to the Fulham game I thought to myself, ‘Don’t get injured’, because going to meet up with the England squad was going to be the best moment of my life. Then it happened. At least it wasn’t a long-term injury, so hopefully I can get that chance again.

“I was very down about being moments away from it but my dad said, ‘If he’s put you in that squad then you will get the chance again’, and I just have to concentrate on playing well now I’m fit to make him do that.”

His chances have already been boosted by a display in which the Reading back line was regularly tormented by his pace, with Ashley Young’s speed also causing problems.

Agbonlahor set up Young for a first-half opening goal after Gareth Barry had put a penalty wide and Young then turned provider for Marlon Harewood to seal the victory with seven minutes remaining, with Nicky Shorey’s stoppage-time free kick too little, too late for the struggling home side.

Villa have an eye on a Champions League spot, but Reading’s only aim is to avoid relegation, their defeat by Villa being their eighth in a row in the Barclays Premier League. No points have been picked up since Boxing Day and Steve Coppell, the manager, admitted that he was at a loss to explain why a team who beat Liverpool in December was now being rolled over with ease.

Reading travel to Middlesbrough on Saturday and still have to play Fulham and Derby County, the only teams below them, but Coppell said that his players must take their lead from the club above them, Birmingham City, who held Arsenal to a 2-2 draw on Saturday, when they play at the Emirates Stadium on April 19. “With 11 games to go, we have six against teams I still consider to be in our division, as it were - the eight or nine at the bottom,” Coppell said. “We need to get a return from those games but critically we need to do something beyond what we have done so far.

“We need to win away from home because if you don’t, it is just too much pressure on our home games. And we need to do what Birmingham did against Arsenal. I know that was in special circumstances but we need to pick up a result. Even if it is one point, that would be psychologically more important than the actual effect on the table. We picked up three against Liverpool [on December 8] but that kind of performance seems to be long gone now.”