Scott Boland appears destined for selection in the first Ashes Test following confirmation Australian skipper Pat Cummins will not be available in Perth.

Cummins' availability for the series opener, and fitness for the broader summer of cricket, remains uncertain as he continues to recover from a back stress injury.

Cricket Australia announced on Monday "Cummins has resumed running and expects to return to bowling shortly," via reports, now less than four weeks out from day one of the first Test.

Steve Smith will captain the side in Perth.

In his absence, Boland looks likely to retain his place in the Australian XI from their last Test outing in the West Indies in July.

The Gulidjan seamer has taken 62 wickets in 16 matches across his Test career, including 49 from nine games in Australia where he averages a miserly 12.63 with the ball.

His best figures remain the fairytale 6/7 he took on debut against England at the MCG when they last travelled to Australia in 2021-22.

Boland also featured in the opening two matches of the 2023 Ashes in the UK, where he was less influential, having taken 5/105 against India in the World Test Championship final in London ahead of the series.

His 10-wicket display against India to wrap last year's red ball summer in Sydney propelled Australia to lifting the Border-Gavaskar Trophy for the first time in a decade.

Speaking last week, Boland put faith in his own ability to play a key role in his side's Ashes campaign if called upon, telling reporters there's no concerns around his fitness after opening games of the summer.

"I'm really happy with the body of work I've put in since getting back from the West Indies. It has been worth it. I've been pulling up really well, which is the main thing," he said.

Boland has 10 wickets across two Sheffield Shield games for Victoria this season, including a match-winning second innings 5-fa to knock over NSW earlier this month.

The Ashes begins in Perth on November 21.