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The tourists have kept their options open for the series opener by naming slow bowler the young spinner in a twelve-player team alongside five seamers

The fast bowler is declared fit and is expected to participate versus the Aussies in Perth Stadium on Friday, with the last selection probably between the young spinner and pace bowler Carse

Pitch Conditions

If England opt for an all-pace attack - four dedicated bowlers plus multi-skilled player Ben Stokes - it would possibly be the fastest group of pacemen they have used in an Ashes Test in this country

Earlier this week WA wicket preparer Isaac McDonald commented to anticipate "fast and bouncy conditions" from the surface at Perth Stadium, and it looks possible the tourists will stick to a established strategy of an exclusively pace attack

Yet the visitors have also noted a arid quality to the pitch, putting the off-spinner into the running

Spinning Options

In the short history of this venue - five earlier Tests have been hosted here - Australian spin bowler Nathan Lyon is the most successful bowler with 29 dismissals

The team have backed the young spinner, twenty-two, as their main slow bowler for since last year and in recent months he was recognized as the youngest England bowler to reach half-century of wickets in international Tests

Yet he has not played a official match following taking the concluding scalp in a thrilling win over India in the final Test at Lord's in summer

Current Concerns

The spinner has been out with a hand problem and struggled in England's only warm-up match against the Lions, recording overall statistics of two wickets for 151 runs from twenty-four overs

This presents the possibility of him playing in an Test against Australia without being contracted with a domestic team

The agreement at the domestic team expired at the finish of the English season

Likely Lineup

However, an English side including Mark Wood, Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, skipper Stokes and Brydon Carse - each of whom are able to achieve 90mph - stays the probable result

The opening match begins at early morning GMT on Friday, with live text coverage, expert analysis and in-play highlights accessible

Playing Group

Team lineup for series opener: Ben Duckett, Zak Crawley, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (captain), Jamie Smith (wicketkeeper), Atkinson, Carse, Wood, Archer, Shoaib Bashir

Team Background

Although a number of English Ashes victories at in England and overseas have been founded on quick bowling, they have not previously selected as many express pace bowlers in the identical lineup

The team that triumphed at domestically in the memorable competition of 2005 Ashes included Steve Harmison, Simon Jones and Flintoff

The captain's winning English side to Australia in 1970-71 had Willis, Peter Lever and John Snow, and the English side that won in those seasons included Brian Statham and Tyson

Modern Context

This time around - among the most highly anticipated Test series in recent memory - the visitors are aiming to change an difficult past - they have been unable to secure a Test match in Australia since 2011

Merely five individuals of the sixteen-player group have experienced a international Test in the host nation, but Atkinson states that could help the visitors

"This could represent an advantage," he told the press

"There have been a lot of players who have mentioned they have had challenging periods here in Australia

"Regarding our team, we are a quite calm, extremely confident group

"No negative experiences

"It's very exciting

"We all see it as a massive chance to achieve something remarkable"

Host Team Situation

Australia's training on recently was momentarily paused by the threat of lightning

Australia are likely to provide an opportunity to batsman Weatherald, with new fast bowler Doggett also joining due to fitness concerns to captain Pat Cummins and teammate Hazlewood