Napoli midfielder Scott McTominay has come through corrective heart surgery without complications, with the club confirming a clear timeline for his return to action. The 29-year-old Scotland international was diagnosed with a mild benign arrhythmia, a form of irregular heartbeat that medical staff say poses no significant threat to his long-term health.
McTominay travelled to Manchester to undergo the procedure, an ablation, at Spire Manchester Hospital on Tuesday morning. Napoli released a statement confirming the operation had gone smoothly: "On Tuesday morning, Scott McTominay underwent an ablation procedure at Spire Manchester Hospital. The operation was a complete success."
The former Manchester United man is now expected to rest for a fortnight before resuming training with his teammates. Napoli had already signaled last week that the midfielder would likely be sidelined until after the upcoming international break, and the club's latest update reinforces that projection.
The procedure means McTominay will miss a string of important fixtures for both club and country. He was absent for Napoli's Champions League encounter with Arsenal on Wednesday night, and he will also sit out the beginning of Sebastien Pocognoli's reign as Scotland's new head coach. That includes Nations League matches against Slovenia—played twice—as well as fixtures versus Switzerland and North Macedonia.
McTominay had been a fixture in Napoli's starting lineup to open the Serie A season, featuring in the club's first two league matches. However, his recent form on the pitch had already shown signs of disruption before the diagnosis. He was withdrawn after 56 minutes during a 2-1 home loss to Como on 30 August, and he then missed out entirely on Napoli's following league fixture, a dramatic 3-2 defeat to reigning champions Inter Milan.
That match against Inter proved particularly painful for Massimiliano Allegri's side, who appeared firmly in control after racing to a two-goal cushion at the start of the second half. Matteo Politano and former Manchester United forward Rasmus Hojlund found the net within three minutes of each other to give Napoli what looked like a commanding advantage. But Inter mounted a stunning comeback, with Lautaro Martinez and Marcus Thuram both scoring to level the contest at 2-2. Martinez then struck again in the opening minute of stoppage time to complete the turnaround and hand Inter a dramatic victory.
With McTominay not due back in training for another two weeks, he is set to miss Napoli's next three fixtures, against Arsenal, Bologna and Fiorentina. Assuming his recovery proceeds without any setbacks, the midfielder could be available for selection when Napoli return to action after the international break, with a clash against Frosinone on 10 October representing a realistic target for his comeback.
McTominay is currently in his third season with the Naples club since departing Old Trafford, and he has quickly established himself as an important figure in the squad. He played a significant role in Napoli's Serie A title triumph during the 2024-25 campaign, making his current injury absence a notable concern for a team hoping to build on that success this season.
Based on reporting from The Independent.