The pace bowler has claimed 309 wickets in 71 Test matches with an impressive average.
Australia's chair of selectors Bailey has confirmed that captain Pat Cummins will be a central figure in this winter's Ashes series.
There were concerns that the veteran bowler might miss the series due to a stress fracture in his back that remained unresolved.
Previous updates from the squad suggested no definitive call had been made regarding whether he would play, with the Test matches kicking off on 21 November in the WACA.
He revealed that the captain is progressing and felt positive about his chances of participating.
"We're aware that the clock is ticking and there are permutations involved, not only his injury, but further aspects," he commented.
"We're encouraged. [We are] really confident that he's going to play a major part. With luck it's the first Test. Otherwise, we'll reassess."
Past Concerns
The captain missed the white-ball matches against New Zealand and India last month after examinations confirmed a stress reaction in his back.
Previous incidents include of recurring issues, with setbacks in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 leading to absences from multiple domestic campaigns in four years.
Cummins stated he would be proactive in his approach in his recovery plan 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 acknowledged it was "becoming urgent" for him to be fit for the opener.
Backup Options
Should Cummins not be fit, former captain Steve Smith will take over the captaincy.
All-rounder Cameron Green was recently pulled out from the ODI lineup for their ODI contests against the subcontinent side as a safety move because of soreness in his side.
Bailey described it as a "minor" injury and confirmed that he's scheduled to appear in the state-level matches, so will be "ideally positioned to resume bowling."
"Extensive planning has gone into creating the schedule for him to be available for the first Test as an all-rounder," Bailey explained.
"He was only going to play the first two ODIs anyway. His aggressive style the cricket bat in white-ball cricket, should it hinder progress for 24 more hours, we just made the decision to adopt a safer strategy."
Fixture Details
Australia vs England: The Ashes
Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026
