The pace bowler has claimed 309 wickets in 71 five-day games with an stellar bowling average.
Australia's chair of selectors 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 stress fracture in his back that had not yet healed.
Initial reports from team management suggested no final decision had been made regarding his involvement, with the Test matches scheduled to begin on 21 November in the WACA.
The selector shared that his recovery is on track and was "optimistic" about the likelihood of being involved.
"We're aware that the window is narrowing and various factors involved, not only the physical problem, but further aspects," he commented.
"We're encouraged. [We are] really confident that he's going to play a significant role. With luck starting in Perth. If not, then we'll pick it up."
Previous Setbacks
The captain missed Australia's limited-overs series against both Asian and Trans-Tasman rivals recently after scans revealed a lumbar bone stress.
He has a history of spinal problems, with recurrences in several earlier campaigns forcing him out of three Australian summers in four years.
He emphasized he would be ""aggressive" and "take risks" in his rehabilitation process to secure his spot for the contest.
The selector indicated that it was unclear if he had started his bowling workouts as part of his comeback but conceded it was "becoming urgent" for him to regain fitness for the initial match.
Backup Options
Should Cummins not be fit, veteran batsman Smith will assume leadership.
All-rounder Cameron Green was excluded lately from the national team for their one-day international series against the subcontinent side as a safety move because of an abdominal issue.
Bailey described it as a "small issue and mentioned 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 opening match as an all-rounder," he elaborated.
"Originally, he'd only feature in the first two ODIs regardless. How he handles the bat in limited-overs, if it causes any delay for another day, we opted to approach this more conservatively."
Match Calendar
The Historic Rivalry
Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026
