Australia's selectors will name their squad for the two-Test tour on Thursday, with several fresh faces to be added to the side that played India in Sydney last week.
AAP has been told that McSweeney will be one of those, while spinners Todd Murphy and Matthew Kuhnemann are also expected to be named.
McSweeney scored 72 runs at an average of 14.4 in his first three Tests against India, before being replaced by Sam Konstas for the Boxing Day Test.
But the South Australian's runs came after being handed the toughest job in cricket, asked to debut against Jasprit Bumrah after having never opened in the Sheffield Shield.
Spinner Todd Murphy is expected to be included for the two-Test tour of Sri Lanka. (Morgan Hancock/AAP PHOTOS)
McSweeney's recall to the Test squad shows he is still very much in selectors' thoughts as the team enters a transition era, and could well return as a middle-order player.
The 25-year-old has found a home batting at No.3 for South Australia this summer - averaging 97 - but has previously batted further down.
Australia already have a decision to make with its opening slots in Sri Lanka, with Sam Konstas and Usman Khawaja having finished the Border-Gavaskar Trophy together.
Travis Head opened on Australia's last tour of Asia against India in 2023, and was considered a likely chance to do so again for these matches against Sri Lanka.
But that would require Australia to either drop Khawaja or Konstas, with the former one of the team's best players of spin and the latter ready to benefit from experience in the sub-continent.
If Head was to move to the top, it would create an opening for McSweeney to come into the side in the middle order.
Peter Handscomb and Josh Inglis would be other options to come into the team, with both considered a fair chance to be named in the squad on Thursday.
Beau Webster is also expected to retain his spot after an impressive debut in Sydney, hitting 57 in the first innings before sealing the Border-Gavaskar Trophy for Australia with an unbeaten 39 in the second.
His performances have put the future of Mitch Marsh in further doubt, with the West Australian to learn on Thursday whether he will be taken to Sri Lanka.
Cooper Connolly is also considered some chance to go as a spinning allrounder, in a role Glenn Maxwell had initially been considered some chance to return to.
Cooper Connolly is an outside chance of making the Test squad to tour Sri Lanka. (Scott Barbour/AAP PHOTOS)
Nathan Lyon will have spin back up in the form of Kuhnemann and Murphy, with Australia every chance of playing all three tweakers in both Tests in Galle.
Steve Smith will captain the team, with Pat Cummins having already confirmed he expects to stay at home for the birth of his second child.
Australia's 3-1 victory in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy means they have already qualified for the World Test Championship final against South Africa at Lord's in June.
But the Warne-Muralitharan Trophy is still on the line in the two Tests, with Australia aiming to retain their status of holding every bilateral Test trophy available to them.
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