Pistons' Monroe out Saturday, could return next week

The Detroit Pistons will be without pivot Greg Monroe when they take on the Chicago Bulls on Saturday.

Monroe has a knee injury which forced him to sit out the Pistons' last two games, reports Keith Langlois of Pistons.com. Langlois notes that Pistons head coach Stan Van Gundy hopes Monroe can return sometime next week.

The Pistons have three games next week against the Toronto Raptors on Tuesday, Orlando Magic on Friday and Miami Heat on Saturday. With the Pistons on the periphery of the playoff race, there's no need for Monroe to rush back.

Playing in his fifth season in Detroit, Monroe has posted yet another solid season, averaging a double-double with 16 points and 10.4 rebounds per game.