The pace bowler has claimed 309 wickets in 71 Test matches with an impressive average.
Australia's chair of selectors the selector has stated that captain Pat Cummins will play a "major part" in the forthcoming England-Australia contest.
Rumors had circulated that the 32-year-old might miss the series due to a persistent back stress problem that remained unresolved.
Previous updates from the Australian camp suggested no definitive call had been made regarding his involvement, with the Test matches set to start on 21 November in the WACA.
Bailey expressed that the captain is progressing and was "optimistic" about the likelihood of being involved.
"We're aware that the window is narrowing and there are permutations involved, not only his injury, but additional elements," the selector added.
"We're encouraged. We firmly believe that he will feature a major part. Ideally it's the first Test. Otherwise, then we'll pick it up."
Injury History
He was sidelined the white-ball matches against New Zealand and India recently after examinations confirmed a stress reaction in his back.
He has a history of spinal problems, with recurrences in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 forcing him out of three Australian summers in four years.
The bowler mentioned he would be bold in recovery efforts in his comeback strategy to ensure his availability for the Ashes.
The selector indicated that it was unclear if the captain had resumed bowling as part of his rehabilitation but admitted it was "becoming urgent" for him to recover fully for the first Test.
Alternative Arrangements
In case of absence, former captain Steve Smith will take over the captaincy.
All-rounder Cameron Green was withdrawn recently from the ODI lineup for their one-day international series against the subcontinent side as a preventive step because of soreness in his side.
The selector characterized it as a "small issue and stated that Green will play in the state-level matches, so will be "ideally positioned to deliver overs."
"We put so much time has gone into creating the schedule for him to participate for the first Test as an dual-role player," he elaborated.
"His involvement was limited to the starting games anyway. The way he swings the bat in limited-overs, even if it just sets him back for another day, we just made the decision to approach this more conservatively."
Match Calendar
Australia vs England: The Ashes
Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026
