Agbonlahor and Young were both part of the England squad at various stages last season with the latter making a couple of substitute appearances for his country.

And Carew sees the attacking duo's exclusion from the friendly against the Czech Republic - the final warm-up game before the World Cup qualifiers get under way against Andorra and Croatia next month - as a temporary setback.

The Norway international said: "I can definitely see Gabby and Ashley breaking into the England side this season. They can be as good as they want.

"They have great potential. They have everything in front of them. They are both young with fantastic skills and they can both succeed and go a long way in the game.

"It is the start of a new era for England and there is a good generation of players coming through. I think they will be very strong in the years to come - and Gabby and Ashley can be part of that."

Carew, who signed a new contract along with Agbonlahor last week, said: "The good thing is the players want to learn. Gabby has improved so much in just my time here (since January 2007) and I am sure he will continue to get even better.

"He can be as good as he wants to be and there is definitely more to come from him. I also think all the young players at Villa will reap the benefits of playing in Europe this season.

"It's a different way of playing compared to the domestic league, different challenges, and will be of great experience for the boys which will stand them in good stead."