Mark Ingram had surgery on his left knee Tuesday for an injury sustained in Monday’s practice and has been ruled out of Saturday’s game against San Jose State.

“Mark had an arthroscopic procedure this morning with Dr. Cain and Dr. Andrews and it was successful,” head coach Nick Saban said in a statement released Tuesday. “It was a situation where everyone involved thought it would be better to take care of now, so he would not have any issues with it later in the season.”

Saban said in the release that there is no chance of Ingram playing Saturday, and that his availability for upcoming games after the opener will be decided on a week-to-week basis.

“We will make every decision in the future based on what’s best for Mark and his career as we consult with Dr. Cain and Dr. Andrews on his progress,” Saban said.

Junior wide receiver Julio Jones still has confidence in the Tide’s offense despite the absence of the Heisman-winning running back.

“We just hope the best for him,” he said. “He’s still the same. He doesn’t want anyone to feel bad for him. We’ve still got Trent, [Demetrius] Goode, [Eddie] Lacy.”

Center William Vlachos said he is also reassured by the talent in Alabama’s running back core.

“It’s terrible for Mark,” he said. “Fortunately for us, we have guys who can step up for us. It’s an opportunity for them to step up.”

Sophomore Richardson, who played as Ingram’s back up last year, will now step into his place for the first game against San Jose State on Saturday.

“Mark’s doing good,” Richardson said. “He’s very competitive. He was in surgery this morning, and in the meeting this afternoon, so it’s not like he’s not out there. I know Mark. [When he comes back], he’ll have something to fight for, something to prove.”

The injury is not expected to be serious, according to Saban.

“This is not an injury that will affect Mark’s future ability to make a full recovery in a relatively short time frame,” Saban said.

Zac Al-Khateeb contributed to this report.