Scott McTominay undergoes successful heart surgery and targets October return for Napoli

Surgical procedure and medical diagnosis

Napoli midfielder Scott McTominay underwent a planned cardiac ablation procedure on Tuesday morning at Spire Manchester Hospital in England. The Italian club confirmed that the medical intervention was completely successful in correcting a mild, benign cardiac arrhythmia. The condition was first identified following Napoli's 2-1 Serie A defeat against Como on 30 August 2026, when McTominay was substituted after 56 minutes of play. Medical evaluations determined that the electrical disturbance occurred within a structurally healthy heart, meaning it posed no elevated danger of heart failure, stroke, or sudden death. The corrective procedure involved applying thermal energy, through radiofrequency heat or cryoablation cooling, to destroy the small cluster of tissue cells producing irregular electrical impulses.

As was planned, Scott McTominay had an ablation procedure carried out at the Spire Manchester Hospital during the morning. The surgery was perfectly successful.

Recovery timeline and medical protocol

Napoli confirmed that the 29-year-old will observe an initial rest period of approximately two weeks before returning to physical activity. Under the guidance of the club's medical staff, McTominay will begin with individual, non-contact training exercises before rejoining squad sessions. The overall clinical protocol requires roughly 28 days of recovery, during which the player will take anticoagulant medication to prevent complications. Club officials project that McTominay will resume full training during the autumn international window, with a target of returning to match fitness in early October 2026. The player issued a brief message on social media following the operation to reassure fans about his status.

See you soon Napoli. I won't take long.

Missed fixtures for Napoli and Scotland

The required recovery window forces McTominay to miss several fixtures across club and international competitions throughout September 2026. After sitting out Napoli's 3-2 league defeat against Inter Milan on Saturday, the midfielder will miss Wednesday's Champions League opener against Arsenal. He is also ruled out of domestic Serie A matches against Bologna and Fiorentina as Napoli, currently sitting 12th in the table with three points from three games under manager Massimiliano Allegri, attempts to gain ground. On the international stage, McTominay will be absent for the start of Sebastien Pocognoli's tenure as Scotland head coach. He is set to miss four Nations League fixtures, which include home and away meetings with Slovenia alongside encounters against Switzerland and North Macedonia.

Career background in Italy and Britain

McTominay joined Napoli from Manchester United in August 2024 and quickly became an integral part of the team's midfield. During his debut season, he helped Napoli claim the Serie A championship in 2025 and was named the Italian league's best player for 2024–2025. Over his period in Italy, the midfielder has registered 27 goals in 82 appearances in all competitions. For the Scottish national team, McTominay remains a core contributor with 15 goals scored across more than 70 international caps. His return to competitive play is expected once league schedules resume following the October international break.