The pace bowler has claimed 309 wickets in 71 Test matches with an stellar bowling average.
The Australian chair of selectors George Bailey has declared that captain Pat Cummins will be a central figure in this winter's England-Australia contest.
Rumors had circulated that the veteran bowler might sit out due to a persistent back stress problem that was still troubling him.
Previous updates from the squad suggested no official announcement had been made regarding his involvement, with the Test matches scheduled to begin on the 21st of November in Western Australia.
The selector shared that the captain is progressing and felt positive about his chances of taking part.
"It's clear that the window is narrowing and various factors involved, aside from the physical problem, but additional elements," Bailey remarked.
"It's positive. We firmly believe that he'll participate in a major part. Ideally it's the first Test. If not, then we'll pick it up."
Injury History
He was sidelined the white-ball matches against New Zealand and India last month after examinations confirmed a stress reaction in his back.
There is a track record of recurring issues, with recurrences in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 leading to absences from multiple domestic campaigns in a short span.
The bowler mentioned he would be ""aggressive" and "take risks" in his rehabilitation process to secure his spot for the Ashes.
The selector indicated that it was unclear if he had started his bowling workouts as part of his recovery but conceded it was "pressing" for him to recover fully for the first Test.
Backup Options
Should Cummins not be fit, veteran batsman Smith will assume leadership.
The talented all-rounder was withdrawn recently from Australia's squad for their ODI contests against the subcontinent side as a precautionary measure because of discomfort in his torso.
He labeled it as a "small issue and stated that he's scheduled to appear in the state-level matches, so will be "in a good place to be ready to bowl."
"Extensive planning has gone into developing the strategy for him to participate for the initial game as an all-rounder," the selector detailed.
"He was only going to play the initial matches regardless. His aggressive style the cricket bat in white-ball cricket, even if it just sets him back for another day, we just made the decision to adopt a safer strategy."
Match Calendar
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