Napoli Confirm Scott McTominay Heart Surgery Successful as Return Date Emerges

Napoli have given fans some good news, confirming that Scott McTominay's recent heart surgery went smoothly and that the midfielder could be back on the training pitch before the month is out.

The 29-year-old underwent an ablation procedure on Tuesday morning at Spire Manchester Hospital. It's a minimally invasive surgery used to fix irregular heart rhythms, and doctors moved to schedule it after spotting a mild, benign arrhythmia during a medical check.

The issue came to light after McTominay was subbed off in the 56th minute of Napoli's 2-1 loss to Como in Serie A on August 30.

In a statement, Napoli said McTominay will now rest for two weeks before easing back into training. The club had already been planning for him to return to full action after the international break in early October, so this timeline doesn't appear to change much.

McTominay himself seemed relaxed about the whole situation, posting on Instagram shortly after the diagnosis was announced: "See you soon Napoli. I won't take long."

There's added significance to the timing given Scotland's upcoming schedule. New head coach Sebastien Pocognoli is set to take charge of his first four matches at the end of September and into early October, with games against Slovenia home and away, plus Nations League fixtures against North Macedonia and Switzerland.

For context, an arrhythmia happens when the heart beats too fast, too slow, or in an irregular pattern, according to the NHS. The British Heart Foundation explains that an ablation procedure works by using heat or cold energy to create small scars inside the heart, which helps block the faulty electrical signals causing the irregular beat and restores a normal rhythm.