Pat Cummins' return from a back injury will provide Australia with a welcome "injection" during the Ashes, coach Andrew McDonald said after the skipper was ruled out of the first Test against England.

Cricket Australia confirmed on Monday that Cummins will be absent when the two nations lock horns in the opening Test in Perth on November 21, with Steve Smith replacing him as captain.

The fast bowler has been sidelined with a lower-back problem since July.

However, the Baggy Greens are confident he will be available for the second Test in Brisbane, which starts on December 4.

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"I suppose you get excited about when [Cummins] does come back," McDonald said. "What an injection that will be to the group, a fully fit Pat Cummins returning at some stage during the Ashes.

"We flip into Steve Smith being the captain, and we're incredibly fortunate to have such an experienced captain himself.

"They're a good working couple, so to speak, and Pat will be around the group as well. So he'll come to Perth with us, I can declare that."

McDonald also confirmed selectors would consider handing a recall to white-ball captain Mitchell Marsh, who played his last Test against India last December.

"We would be comfortable picking someone, and if you want to put a name to it – Mitch Marsh – out of white-ball cricket if we felt like that was going to benefit the Test team," he added.

"We feel he's batting as well as he has for a long period of time, and we still haven't given up on Mitch Marsh's Test career."