Captain Michael Clarke and pace-bowler Peter Siddle also in line for return
Sunday 28 September 2014 19:14, UK
Australian coach Darren Lehmann confirmed Mitchell Johnson will play in the upcoming Tests and one-day series against Pakistan in the United Arab Emirates.
Johnson was withdrawn from the Twenty20 Champions League with a rib injury, but left with the national squad for the UAE on Sunday.
Johnson is the world's leading pace bowler after prolific form in the recent Test series wins against England and South Africa.
Lehmann dispelled fears that Johnson was in any doubt for the first Test against Pakistan, which is due to start on in Dubai on October 22.
"He'll be fine to go,” Lehmann confirmed to reporters in Melbourne prior to the team's departure.
“I expect him to play the one-dayers, obviously not the T20 but the one-dayers and the Test series.
"We're lucky enough that in terms of the preparation, he did a fair bit of bowling before (getting injured), so it won't be an issue."
Lehmann was also optimistic that captain Michael Clarke, who is current struggling with a hamstring problem, will be fit for the opening Test.
"I'm confident, he's confident - and that's about where it is at the moment," Lehmann added.
"The tour game (on October 15-18) will be the telling time, I suppose, getting him out and playing that. But I'm pretty confident he'll play."
Clarke left ahead of the team last week to ensure he was acclimatised before beginning to stretch himself at training.
The Australia skipper confirmed he was improving daily from hamstring tendon damage suffered in a one-dayer against Zimbabwe in Harare on August 31 - an injury which forced him to return home from the tour early.
Even if Clarke and Johnson play, Australia will field a significantly different XI to the one that edged South Africa in their last Test match in Cape Town in March.
All-rounder Shane Watson and pacemen Ryan Harris and James Pattinson are all out with injuries.
Mitch Marsh and Stephen O'Keefe are both well placed to make Test debuts as Lehmann ponders whether to play two slow bowlers on the spin-friendly surfaces in the UAE.
"We always pick according to the conditions," Lehmann said.
"It's an Australian groundsman for the first Test, so it could be a decent wicket."
Off-spinner Nathan Lyon could be set for some marathon spells, while Peter Siddle will return. And Lehmann could turn to Siddle, who returns after he was dropped for the last Test against the South Africa, to bolster his bowling attack.
"He's put on some weight, put on some muscle... his speed is up," Lehmann said of Siddle.
"The hardest thing is how many overs they can bowl in the heat."
Lehmann said the extreme heat could potentially tip the selection debate in O'Keefe's favour, however.
"I've been there before and pacemen can only bowl three or four over spells sometimes," he added.
Lehmann admits that Lyon will be under pressure to deliver after some under-par performances this year.
"The last day of a game you expect him to win the game. He's bowled well in the first innings of Test matches but when it's come to the crunch he hasn't delivered as he would have liked or we would like," he said.
"He knows that, he's worked really hard on that. It's about putting good balls in the right spot more often. If he improves that aspect of his game his record would be outstanding."
The tour starts with a Twenty20 clash on October 6 in Dubai.
