Scott McTominay Undergoes Heart Surgery, Out for Champions League Opener
Scott McTominay has undergone minor heart surgery, ruling him out of Napoli’s Champions League opener against Arsenal at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona.
The Scotland international, who has already started two Serie A games this season, had long planned the procedure with the club. Napoli revealed last week that the midfielder needed surgery to correct what they described as “a mild benign arrhythmia” – an irregular heartbeat assessed as non-serious but requiring intervention.
The operation was carried out in England on Monday, September 7, just 48 hours before Arsenal are due to fly to Naples to begin their latest tilt at the Champions League. Mikel Arteta’s side, beaten finalists last season, will not have to deal with McTominay’s powerful running and penalty-box threat.
Napoli have made it clear: McTominay will not feature against Arsenal.
The 27-year-old moved quickly to calm any alarm. Writing on Instagram last week, he told supporters: “I won’t take long.” At an awards ceremony in Italy, he went further, stressing that this was a managed, controlled step rather than an emergency.
“I’m fine, the procedure was something I’d planned to do with the club for quite a while,” he said.
Napoli’s initial statement set out a clear timeframe, confirming he would be back only after the upcoming international break. Sporting director Giovanni Manna then put a more precise number on it, outlining a four-week absence while the medication does its job.
“It will take 28 days for (McTominay to return to) sporting fitness because he will take anticoagulant drugs,” Manna told DAZN. “For two weeks, the player will rest and then resume competitive activity without contact.”
Anticoagulants – blood thinners – are used to reduce the risk of blood clots after such procedures, and they temporarily restrict a player’s ability to train and compete fully.
That schedule carries consequences beyond Napoli’s dressing room. McTominay is now expected to miss Scotland’s entire Nations League block in the forthcoming international window, a run of four fixtures. Steve Clarke’s side face Switzerland and North Macedonia before a double-header against Slovenia, and they will have to navigate that sequence without one of their most influential recent performers.
The Scottish national team quickly sent their support once the surgery plans became public, stating: “Wishing you all the best in your recovery, Scott. Hope to see you back in a Scotland shirt soon.”
For Arsenal, his absence removes one problem but not the whole puzzle. Napoli can still field a formidable midfield, with Kevin De Bruyne and Billy Gilmour both fit again and ready to dictate the tempo on a night when Europe’s spotlight returns to Naples.
