The pace bowler has secured 309 wickets in 71 Test matches with an impressive average.
The Australian chief selector George Bailey has confirmed that captain Pat Cummins will play a "major part" in the upcoming historic rivalry.
Rumors had circulated that the 32-year-old might miss the series due to a stress fracture in his back that had not yet healed.
Initial reports from the squad suggested no definitive call had been made regarding whether he would play, with the five-Test series kicking off on November 21 in the WACA.
He revealed that his recovery is on track and remained hopeful about the likelihood of taking part.
"We know that the window is narrowing and various factors involved, not just his injury, but further aspects," Bailey remarked.
"The outlook is good. We firmly believe that he's going to play a key capacity. With luck from the opening match. Should that not happen, we'll adjust."
Previous Setbacks
The captain missed the white-ball matches against India and New Zealand recently after scans revealed a lower back issue.
He has a history of back injuries, with flare-ups in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 causing him to miss several home seasons in a short span.
Cummins stated he would be proactive in his approach in his recovery plan to make the squad for the Ashes.
Bailey noted that it was unclear if he had started his bowling workouts as part of his rehabilitation but admitted it was "getting tight" for him to recover fully for the first Test.
Contingency Plans
In case of absence, veteran batsman Smith will assume leadership.
Versatile player Green was excluded lately from Australia's squad for their one-day international series against India as a precautionary measure because of discomfort in his torso.
Bailey described it as a "slight concern and confirmed that Green will play in the domestic first-class competition, so will be "ideally positioned to be ready to bowl."
"Extensive planning has gone into creating the schedule for him to be available for the initial game as an batting and bowling option," Bailey explained.
"He was only going to play the first two ODIs in any case. How he handles the cricket bat in white-ball cricket, even if it just sets him back for a short period, we just made the decision to approach this more conservatively."
Match Calendar
The Ashes: Australia v England
Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026
