MacGill has taken 203 wickets for Australia in 42 Tests

MacGill has been struggling with hand and knee problems and was out of sorts during their 2-0 win over Sri Lanka, taking five wickets at 65.20 apiece.

Australia face four Test matches in a 34-day period against the tourists.

Aussie coach Tim Nielsen said: "He has work to do to get to a level that will allow him to play back-to-back Tests."

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The first Test starts in Melbourne on 26 December and Neilsen is expecting the schedule to be gruelling.

"We play back-to-back Tests all through the summer," Nielsen added.

"And if you can't physically cope, there is no way they can give themselves the best chance of executing their skills to the level they need to be successful.

"MacGill came off surgery six weeks ago so he's working hard to get that right.

"We're encouraging him to get as fit as he possibly can so he can fulfil the role that we need him to do, which is to bowl big blocks of overs at one end to allow our quicks to keep churning away from the other end."

Captain Ricky Ponting regards MacGill as Australia's best spinner in the wake of Shane Warne's retirement and hopes to have him available.

"He has got a few weeks to get his body in the best shape he can," said Ponting.