England U21 boss Stuart Pearce doesn't sense any dip in confidence from Aston Villa striker Gabby Agbonlahor.

"There are no problems with him mentally. He has been fine, no problems at all," said Pearce.

"It is important for young players to understand that they are going to have lifts and dips in form, and you just have to accept that.

"But there has to be people around them that can help them out at club level, where Gabby has a fantastic manager in Martin O'Neill that has seen everything before.

"Gabby has hardly missed a game for Aston Villa in the last three years or so, and of course players get disappointed when they don't play or things aren't going their way, but to sit and watch a game at Liverpool I don't think will do him any harm and I think he will be stronger for it.

"He has a slight injury at the moment that might keep him out on Friday, but it might not. But he is here and with us and he wants to be part of this now and in the summer.

"He is one that is very close to the senior squad. He was in the last senior squad and that is credit to him."

Pearce explained that he only left Agbonlahor out of his initial squad because he thought that Fabio Capello would pick him for the seniors.

He said: "At the time I felt Gabby was going to be named in the senior squad. Fabio spoke about his squad in the week but he didn't finalise it until Saturday night.

"When Fabio suggested that he wasn't going to be named in the senior squad, it was common sense to put him in with us for his experience."