George Bailey will miss Friday's one-day international in Hobart, forcing Australia to reveal their Michael Clarke contingency plan.
Bailey was fined 20 per cent of his match fee and slapped with a one-game ban for his side's slow over-rate in Sunday's one-dayer against India at the MCG.
Allrounder Mitch Marsh remains sidelined with a hamstring injury, meaning selectors will add a new batsman to the squad.
Coach Darren Lehmann confirmed on Monday the same batsman would be in the box seat to potentially take Clarke's spot in Australia's 15-man World Cup squad.
Clarke is recovering from hamstring surgery and has been given until February 21 to prove his fitness for the one-day tournament.
If Clarke is unable to play against Bangladesh in Brisbane on that date, selectors will cut him from the squad.
"The advantage is it gives us a look at the spare batters," Lehmann said of Bailey's enforced omission.
"We've got some niggles ... and we've just got to make the best choices we can."
Cameron White and Shaun Marsh headline the leading candidates to take Bailey's spot in the XI that downed India in Melbourne.
Steve Smith is expected to lead Australia in Bailey's absence when the hosts face England on Friday, seeking to make it three one-day wins on the trot.
The upside of Bailey's ban is that his slate has been wiped clean for the World Cup and his next over-rate punishment will only be a fine.
However, Lehmann was far from pleased with the slow over-rate.
"We should be able to get through in three-and-a-half hours with no dramas," Lehmann said.
"We were slow and we've spoken about getting better at that.
"I spoke to them quite firmly. We don't want that happening."
The International Cricket Council announced Bailey's suspension on Monday night.
The ICC also confirmed David Warner's misconduct fine for his aggressive confrontation with Rohit Sharma.
Sharma was exonerated over his role in the stoush.
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