The Australian skipper has taken 309 wickets in 71 five-day games with an impressive average.
The Australian chair of selectors Bailey has declared that captain Pat Cummins will have a crucial role in the forthcoming historic rivalry.
Rumors had circulated that the veteran bowler might be unavailable due to a stress fracture in his back that was still troubling him.
Previous updates from team management suggested no definitive call had been made regarding his involvement, with the extended contest set to start on the 21st of November in Perth.
The selector shared that the captain is progressing and remained hopeful about his chances of participating.
"It's clear that the window is narrowing and various factors around that, not only the back issue, but additional elements," the selector added.
"We're encouraged. [We are] really confident that he'll participate in a major part. Hopefully from the opening match. Should that not happen, then we'll pick it up."
Past Concerns
The captain missed the white-ball matches against both Asian and Trans-Tasman rivals in the previous weeks after scans revealed a lumbar bone stress.
There is a track record of back injuries, with setbacks in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 leading to absences from several home seasons in a limited period.
The bowler mentioned he would be ""aggressive" and "take risks" in his comeback strategy to ensure his availability for the series.
He mentioned that it was unclear if he had started his bowling workouts as part of his comeback but conceded it was "becoming urgent" for him to regain fitness for the opener.
Alternative Arrangements
In case of absence, veteran batsman Smith will assume leadership.
Versatile player Green was excluded lately from the ODI lineup for their ODI contests against the Asian giants as a safety move because of an abdominal issue.
The selector characterized it as a "slight concern and confirmed that he's scheduled to appear in the Sheffield Shield, so will be "well-prepared to resume bowling."
"We put so much time has gone into developing the strategy for him to participate for the first Test as an dual-role player," Bailey explained.
"Originally, he'd only feature in the initial matches 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."
Fixture Details
Australia vs England: The Ashes
Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026
