"Pistons forward Charlie Villanueva's right ankle injury appears more serious than the team thought.

The team said in a press release Friday night that he has "a resolving posterior tibial tenosynovitis with small talotibal spurs.

In other words, Villanueva, according to definitions of those symptoms, has tendinitis and bone spurs in the ankle, and likely will remain sidelined for at least a few more weeks.

It's unclear if he'll need surgery.

The Pistons release said Villanueva, limited to just two games this season, will undergo "a few weeks of partial ankle immobilization" in an attempt to alleviate soreness and discomfort before the team's medical staff re-evaluates his progress.

Villanueva was ruled out of Friday's game against the Bucks — won by the Pistons, 88-80 — by coach Lawrence Frank because of the injury and didn't attend the shoot-around.

The Pistons' release about Villanueva's condition came minutes after The Detroit News asked Frank about the player's condition during the coach's pregame media availability.

"He's gone through a series of tests and he's dealing with a lot of pain," Frank said. "...It's been an everyday deal trying to get him the best medical attention.

"We have a great training staff here, but we're getting a series of examinations and different opinions."

Villanueva has played a total of six scoreless minutes in a Jan. 2 game against the Magic and Jan. 4 matchup against the Bulls."