The pace bowler has claimed 309 wickets in 71 Test matches with an average of 22.10.
The Australian chief selector Bailey has declared that captain Pat Cummins will have a crucial role in this winter's England-Australia contest.
Speculation had been growing that the 32-year-old might be unavailable due to a ongoing back issue that was still troubling him.
Previous updates from the Australian camp suggested no definitive call had been made regarding whether he would play, with the five-Test series scheduled to begin on 21 November in the WACA.
Bailey expressed that his recovery is on track and was "optimistic" about the likelihood of participating.
"We know that the clock is ticking and there are permutations around that, aside from the physical problem, but other factors as well," he commented.
"We're encouraged. There's strong faith that he will feature a major part. With luck from the opening match. If not, then we'll pick it up."
Previous Setbacks
Cummins was ruled out the white-ball matches against both Asian and Trans-Tasman rivals recently after scans revealed a lumbar bone stress.
Previous incidents include of back injuries, with recurrences in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 leading to absences from several home seasons in a short span.
Cummins stated he would be ""aggressive" and "take risks" in his rehabilitation process to make the squad for the Ashes.
The selector indicated that he did not know if Cummins had begun bowling as part of his comeback but conceded it was "pressing" for him to recover fully for the opener.
Backup Options
Should Cummins not be fit, former captain Steve Smith will lead the side.
All-rounder Cameron Green was withdrawn recently from the ODI lineup for their one-day international series against the Asian giants as a safety move because of discomfort in his torso.
He labeled it as a "slight concern and mentioned that he's scheduled to appear in the state-level matches, so will be "ideally positioned to deliver overs."
"Extensive planning has gone into developing the strategy for him to participate for the opening match as an dual-role player," the selector detailed.
"His involvement was limited to the initial matches in any case. How he handles the cricket bat in white-ball cricket, if it causes any delay for a short period, we opted to approach this more conservatively."
Fixture Details
The Ashes: Australia v England
Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026
