The Australian skipper has claimed 309 Test scalps in 71 five-day games with an average of 22.10.
The Australian selection chief the selector has stated that captain Pat Cummins will have a crucial role in the upcoming England-Australia contest.
Speculation had been growing that the veteran bowler might be unavailable due to a persistent back stress problem that was still troubling him.
Earlier indications from the Australian camp suggested no final decision had been made regarding his involvement, with the Test matches scheduled to begin on 21 November in the WACA.
Bailey expressed that his recovery is on track and felt positive about the prospects of being involved.
"We're aware that time is getting short and there are permutations around that, not only his injury, but additional elements," the selector added.
"The outlook is good. We firmly believe that he's going to play a major part. Hopefully it's the first Test. Should that not happen, we'll reassess."
Previous Setbacks
The captain missed Australia's limited-overs series against both Asian and Trans-Tasman rivals in the previous weeks after medical tests showed a lumbar bone stress.
Previous incidents include of back injuries, with recurrences in several earlier campaigns leading to absences from several home seasons in a short span.
He emphasized he would be bold in recovery efforts in his recovery plan to ensure his availability for the contest.
He mentioned that it was unclear if the captain had resumed bowling as part of his recovery but conceded it was "getting tight" for him to regain fitness for the opener.
Alternative Arrangements
In case of absence, veteran batsman Smith will take over the captaincy.
Versatile player Green was recently pulled out from Australia's squad for their limited-overs matches against India as a precautionary measure because of an abdominal issue.
The selector characterized it as a "slight concern and confirmed that Green will play in the state-level matches, so will be "ideally positioned to be ready to bowl."
"We put so much time has gone into developing the strategy for him to take part for the first Test as an dual-role player," Bailey explained.
"His involvement was limited to the first two ODIs anyway. His aggressive style the cricket bat in white-ball cricket, even if it just sets him back for another day, the choice was made to adopt a safer strategy."
Series Schedule
Australia vs England: The Ashes
Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026
