The pace bowler has claimed 309 wickets in 71 five-day games with an stellar bowling average.
Australia's chair of selectors Bailey has declared that captain Pat Cummins will play a "major part" in the forthcoming England-Australia contest.
Rumors had circulated that the 32-year-old might sit out due to a stress fracture in his back that remained unresolved.
Previous updates from the squad suggested no definitive call had been made regarding his involvement, with the five-Test series scheduled to begin on the 21st of November in Western Australia.
He revealed that the captain is progressing and felt positive about the prospects of taking part.
"We know that the window is narrowing and various factors around that, not just the physical problem, but further aspects," he commented.
"The outlook is good. There's strong faith that he's going to play a major part. Hopefully starting in Perth. Should that not happen, we'll reassess."
Injury History
The captain missed Australia's limited-overs series against both Asian and Trans-Tasman rivals recently after scans revealed a stress reaction in his back.
He has a history of spinal problems, with flare-ups in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 leading to absences from three Australian summers in a short span.
He emphasized he would be proactive in his approach in his recovery plan to make the squad for the series.
The selector indicated that there was no confirmation if the captain had resumed bowling as part of his recovery but conceded it was "becoming urgent" for him to recover fully for the initial match.
Alternative Arrangements
In case of absence, ex-skipper Smith will assume leadership.
The talented all-rounder was excluded lately from the national team for their one-day international series against India as a precautionary measure because of soreness in his side.
Bailey described it as a "slight concern and confirmed that he'll feature in the state-level matches, so will be "well-prepared to be ready to bowl."
"Considerable effort has gone into developing the strategy for him to participate for the initial game as an batting and bowling option," the selector detailed.
"Originally, he'd only feature in the initial matches regardless. His aggressive style the cricket bat in white-ball cricket, if it causes any delay for 24 more hours, the choice was made to approach this more conservatively."
Fixture Details
The Ashes: Australia v England
Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026
