Sources: Saints' Ingram (knee) out six weeks

New Orleans Saints running back Mark Ingram underwent arthroscopic knee surgery on Thursday and is expected to be sidelined six weeks, according to league sources.

Ingram is not expected to be available for the Saints minicamps later this month, but the team does expect him to be recovered in time for training camp. The surgery was considered more of a cleanup measure than the result of a specific injury.

Ingram's knee surgery is his second in the past three offseasons. Ingram had arthroscopic sugery before his junior year at Alabama and also had foot surgery late last season.

Now, when the Saints next gather on the field for their next minicamp, they will be without coach Sean Payton, Ingram, suspended linebacker Jonathan Vilma and likely quarterback Drew Brees, who remains far apart from the Saints in talks on a long-term contract extension.