Alvarez, 52, was scheduled to undergo knee replacement surgery Tuesday at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., but the operation was postponed after doctors discovered a chronic knee infection. Alvarez will receive additional testing to determine when the replacement surgery can be attempted again.

He will remain in the hospital for an indefinite time.

On Saturday, Alvarez will be recovering in a room equipped with a large screen television and a phone line that connects him to the Wisconsin coaching staff.

"It sounded kind of CIA-ish, but they're going to have something hooked up," offensive coordinator Brian White said.

The assistant coaches said they expect to hear from Alvarez throughout the game and they will pass on his words to the players.

"The game plan isn't going to be any different without me there," Alvarez told The Capital Times. "But it's going to be a change for them, because their head coach won't be there. With some of them, I don't have a lot of contact and they won't be affected. Some others will be affected a little bit more."

Alvarez coached the Badgers (3-2) against Michigan and Ohio State the last two weeks from the press box.

The knee has caused Alvarez severe pain ever since he re-injured the joint while attending an exhibition game in Madison between the Green Bay Packers and the Denver Broncos on Aug. 23. Internal bleeding was filling the joint with fluids.

Tailback Ron Dayne said he hopes the surgery will relieve Alvarez of some of his pain.

"It would be nice to have a win for coach," Dayne said.