May 7 (Reuters) - Spain ⁠manager Luis de la Fuente has not ruled ⁠Dani Carvajal out of his World Cup squad ‌but said the right back must prove his fitness and form after the Real Madrid captain suffered a right foot injury ​in training last week.

"Carvajal is a ⁠very important figure in ⁠our dressing room," De la Fuente told reporters on ⁠Wednesday.

"I actually ‌spoke with him yesterday, so I’m aware of what’s going on. He doesn’t have ⁠a specific injury, nothing serious, but he ​needs time to ‌get back to his usual level.

"We’ll see in ⁠the remaining ​matches whether he truly gets the opportunity and delivers the performances."

De la Fuente added that Carvajal, who made ⁠just one appearance for Spain in ​2025, would understand if he was left out of the squad for the World Cup, which is being held ⁠in the United States, Canada and Mexico from June 11 to July 19.

Carvajal, 34, is approaching the final weeks of his contract with Real and has ​struggled for game-time this season amid ⁠competition from Trent Alexander-Arnold.

Spain begin their World Cup campaign ​against Cape Verde on June ‌15 and also face Saudi Arabia ​and Uruguay in Group H.

(Reporting by Paras J. Haji in Bengaluru; Editing by Peter Rutherford)