Fast bowler Jackson Bird will make his Australian debut in the second Test against Sri Lanka, which gets underway at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Wednesday.

Bird and captain Michael Clarke, who is nursing a hamstring injury sustained in the series opener, have been named in a 12-man squad that does not feature left-arm seamer Mitchell Starc.

Starc has been rested amid a heavy workload, while left-armer Mitchell Johnson will replace the injured Ben Hilfenhaus - and right-armer Peter Siddle will get the chance to build on his Man-of-the-Match performance in Hobart.

"We've got a lot of faith in Jackson. At the start of the season, we had a list of bowlers that we wanted to keep fresh and ready to go and Jackson was one of them," said coach Mickey Arthur.

"He was one of them for the simple reason that he brings everything that we want - pace, he brings swing and consistency. He has done it all. We've got no issues about throwing the new ball to him."

Clarke's participation in at the MCG, meanwhile, remains in the balance. Australia have pinpointed all-rounder Shane Watson as stand-in skipper, while the left-handed Usman Khawaja will be recalled to the middle order if the prolific right-hander is absent.

"Clarke's clearly improving. He went far better today than he did yesterday. If I was a betting man I'd bet on Michael Clarke leading the team out on Boxing Day. It will be a consultation between Michael and (team physiotherapist Alex Kountouris," added Arthur.