Australia will be able to cope without captain Pat Cummins for the first Ashes Test, so says Usman Khawaja, who feels his side have "really good cover" in the bowling department against England.

Steve Smith will take the lead when the first Ashes meeting of an enticing series starts in Perth on November 21, with Cummins ruled out of the opener due to an ongoing back injury.

Australia are confident the fast bowler, who has been out since July, will be available for the second Test in Brisbane, starting on December 4.

Scott Boland is expected to be the replacement in the hosts' bowling attack, which will likely also include Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood.

With a host of backup options, Khawaja believes Australia will be in a strong position, regardless of their 32-year-old captain's injury-enforced absence.

"It was expected, I think," Khawaja told reporters. "It's obviously a loss always.

"He's the best bowler in the world, he's been our captain for a while, but we've also missed out on him a few times and done alright.

"I can remember a couple of games in Sri Lanka, a couple of games in India we won, and even the last Ashes when Paddy got Covid.

"We lost him, but then obviously other guys came in, and we won that game in the Ashes too. It's disappointing, but we've always had really good cover and played well."

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Cummins led Australia to World Test Championship and World Cup glory in 2023, the same year the last Ashes series in England was drawn 2-2 after a rain-impacted draw at Old Trafford.

Smith, of course, is more than a capable deputy. The 36-year-old is an Ashes-winning captain, only losing his role in 2018 due to the ball-tampering scandal in South Africa.

Premier batter Smith has stood in for Cummins already on six occasions, while Boland has always been waiting in the wings for a chance in Australia's impressive fast-bowling cartel.

Indeed, Boland has an outstanding average of 12.63 in Test match action on home soil, although reserves Michael Neser, Brendan Doggett or Fergus O'Neill could have to feature in the squad.

Despite Boland's impeccable record in his home country, Cummins has accounted for 309 wickets in the longest format, with 177 of those in Australia at an average of 19.92, and replacing that quality may prove tough.