Nic Maddinson has been released from Australia's Test squad with the opener left out for Cape Town, while Steve Smith must still prove he is fit for the decider against South Africa.
Selectors confirmed on Monday that Maddinson and Sam Harper would return to Australia to play Sheffield Shield, with fellow tourists Cameron Green and Josh Inglis fit again.
Maddinson's omission is expected to leave Matt Renshaw to return to opening the batting, with Green back in the side, as Australia weigh up their best XI for the third Test in Cape Town.
Australia are not expected to name their team until the toss on Tuesday, with Smith still under a slight injury cloud with his neck issues.
The decision to allow Maddinson to return home comes after scores of 0, 48, 0 and 8 following his shock Test recall after almost 10 years out of the side.
But his selection did allow Renshaw to make 190 and 81 to take Australia to victory in Durban while batting at No.5 with Green out.
"Performance wise, would you like more runs? Yes, so that's OK," chief selector George Bailey said.
"Did it allow us to set the rest of the team up the way we wanted to, whilst we were working with the group we had? Yes.
"We always talk about what do we see when we see players at our best. I think we saw a glimpse of that in the second innings in Durban.
"With him going home, we wanted to be clear to him he wasn't a stop-gap.
"The same reasons and process we worked through to get him here will be the same questions we ask across the whole summer"
Australia must also make a call on Marnus Labuschagne, who has not made a century since the 2023 Ashes.
The Queenslander has scored between 30 and 49 in six of his past nine innings.
Inglis, fit again after a finger injury, is one option to come in for him.
"We're seeing some good things, yes. Is there a block at the moment around 30s? Yes," Bailey said of Labuschagne.
"Still contributing with his ability to get through a number of balls.
"So it's a decision around what does it look like he gets through there? And is it helping others around him and helping the team get a result we ultimately want?"
Labuschagne's fate could still rest on Smith's neck, after the veteran No.4 faced just 20 minutes of throw downs in the nets on Sunday.
Smith was expected to face faster bowling at training on Monday, with Australia confident he would be ready to play on his return to Newlands.
"He's got a bit of a neck issue going on at the moment," coach Andrew McDonald said.
"We feel like it's going to be a pretty steep progression, in terms of he should be available.
"We're confident he will be available."
All five of Australia's frontline bowlers are also expected to be fit for the third Test, leaving a call to be made on one of Scott Boland, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood or Nathan Lyon missing out.
The Cape Town wicket has appeared drier in the days leading up to the match, with the holding role of Lyon likely to be an important factor.
