McClenaghan suffered a fracture just above the left eye in the opening ODI against Pakistan at the Basin Reserve in Wellington on Monday and will undergo minor cosmetic surgery this Friday.
Bracewell yesterday joined the Kane Williamson-captained team who arrived in Napier in the afternoon and will travel with them to Auckland for the final match on Sunday.
While a bitter pill to swallow at the time, the medium-fast right-armer had to "change his habits and lifestyle".
"When he got left out he had to front up to himself every morning in front of the mirror," Malan said.
For someone who showed promise in footing it at an elite level, even as a teenager when his father, former international Brendon Bracewell, was coaching from his academy in Napier, Doug Bracewell brought a bend-your-back and hit-the-deck-hard mentality.
"Right now Dougie's in top physical shape. He works hard in all aspects of his game - mentally, physically, nutritionally and skills wise," said Malan of a test player who Hesson didn't regard as a white-ball merchant until recently although, in fairness to the coach, the shorter format showed little tolerance for ill-disciplined bowling.
Bracewell has bowled tighter channels and will bring that in-your-face aggression against the tourists tomorrow, if the bowling attack at the Cake Tin was anything to go by from the lanky Mohammad Irfan, Mohammad Amir, Anwar Ali and Wahab Riaz.
The warm fuzzies of facing a "first-class" bowling attack of the Sri Lankans in one's own lunchtime earlier this summer is gone.
Malan was confident Bracewell's resolve is so strong he would be surprised if a franchise won't bid for the 2012 Delhi Daredevil come the IPL auction in April.
"There are two things with Dougie - reliability and continuity, which is something you expect from seven to eight times from all your players," he said, adding saddling Bracewell with extra responsibility in the top order had honed his batting skills.
Malan said Bracewell also ticked the boxes in the leadership department, both on and off the field with the Stags during the domestic season.
"He's a true gentleman of the game. He plays it hard but he's also a really good guy," he said, championing it as not only the Black Caps' edict but also that of CD.
Hesson said former CD Stag McClenaghan's health was the priority.
"Our main focus is making sure Mitch is okay and we'll continue to monitor him over the coming days.
Doug has been in superb form this summer and we're confident he can come in and do a good job for us," he said.
