Australia will likely take 16 or 17 players on the three-Test tour of South Africa in October, with one batter likely to be added to the current squad. The tour will be the start of 19 Tests for Australia in the coming 12 months.
Whether battling Marnus Labuschagne goes to South Africa is a tough question for selectors.
McSweeney, who played three Tests without success in the 2024-25 Test series against India, has made three centuries for Northamptonshire in division two of the County Championship this year.
He has returned home early to reportedly get ready for the Australia A tour to play India A, with the squad to be named in the coming days.
The South Australia captain in the Sheffield Shield is in the batting mix with the likes of Cooper Connelly, Kurtis Patterson, Campbell Kellaway, Sam Konstas and Oliver Peake to play in the upcoming Test marathon.
Carey is McSweeney's teammate for South Australia and was not endorsing his selection at the expense of anyone in the current team, but he was full of praise for the 27-year-old.
He had a chuckle when McSweeney questions came his way a day after Australia drew the Test series with Bangladesh 1-all with an innings and 51-run win in Mackay.
"Is Nathan the chat? Is he the next one in?" he said.
McSweeney, a compact and busy batter, had a difficult initiation against India's Jasprit Bumrah two summers back.
"He did have a tough start. I think we all had a pretty tough series against Bumrah in that one," Carey said.
"Nathan has probably gone away from that experience and probably learned a lot about himself.
"He has come back a better player and is a great leader for South Australia. He is scoring some runs overseas.
"Nathan has had a taste of it. He is hungry.
"I also think the group we have got here are in a pretty good head space as well in terms of grinding and improving our game and trying to adapt to all conditions. It will be left up to selectors that one.
"There is certainly some really good depth and some great options and headaches for selectors."
Australia made 210 in Mackay, the fourth-lowest total in history when a team won by an innings.
In Darwin, when beaten by nine wickets, Australia compiled just 198 and 284.
Carey said Australia should have done better but insisted there was "no urgency from my point of view" to make batting changes.
"There is a bit of time between that next Test match and we are always looking for ways to improve," he said.
He defended Labuschagne, who has averaged just 24.69 in his past 43 Test innings and made 36 runs in three innings against Bangladesh..
"I think he has shown some great signs," Carey said.
"We know how good a player he is at his best. A score is really close for him ."
