According to the TASS news agency, the Russian Tennis Federation have named Sharapova, Svetlana Kuznetsova, Anastasia Pavliuchenkova, and Darya Kasatkina for the four Olympic singles slots.

Her participation will depend on the doping ban being lifted during an ongoing hearing, however.

Fifth ranked Russian Yekaterian Maksimova has been named on standby in case Sharapova remains ineligible.

The five-time Grand Slam champion announced in March how she had failed a test during the Australian Open for the substance, only added onto the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) banned list on January 1.

She admitted to having not read the updated banned list and said she carried on taking meldonium after it was outlawed.

Her failure was followed by hundreds of others, predominantly registered by Russian and other Eastern European athletes, only for WADA to then admit that more research was required to calculate how long the product remains in the human body.

It was ruled that if below one microgram of meldonium was detected and the failed test came before March 1, a negligence or no fault verdict could be reached.

The situation with Sharapova - who has this week launched her "sugarpova" confectionery range - is complicated by the fact she has admitted to using it after it was banned.

Her levels are also thought to be higher than the one microgram limit.

A verdict is expected early next month.

Heart-attack drug meldonium was added to the banned list after claiming there was evidence that it was being used for performance enhancing purposes.

But Sharapova claims to have been prescribed it by her doctor for health issues dating back to 2006, including magnesium deficiency, an irregular heartbeat and a family history of diabetes. 

Russia claim any athlete formally banned for a past doping offence will not be picked for Rio 2016, although meldonium cases are now considered exempt.