Scott McTominay to Undergo Minor Heart Procedure

Scott McTominay will step away from the pitch for a short spell after Napoli confirmed the Scotland midfielder is to undergo a minor heart procedure following the discovery of “a mild benign arrhythmia”.

The 29-year-old was taken off after 56 minutes of Napoli’s 2-1 Serie A defeat by Como on Sunday, with the club now opting for corrective treatment “in the coming days”.

Napoli expect McTominay to be available again after the international break in early October.

The player himself struck an upbeat tone on Instagram, writing: “See you soon Napoli. I won't take long.”

His absence, though, lands an early blow for new Scotland head coach Sebastien Pocognoli. McTominay is likely to miss Pocognoli’s first four matches in charge – a home-and-away double-header against Slovenia, followed by Nations League fixtures against North Macedonia and Switzerland.

According to the NHS, an arrhythmia is when the heart beats too quickly, too slowly, or with an irregular rhythm. Napoli have stressed the condition is mild and benign, and the expectation is that McTominay will resume his season once the procedure and recovery period are complete.

For club and country, the wait now begins for one of Scotland’s key midfield figures to be given the all-clear.