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.

The 29-year-old was taken off after 56 minutes of Napoli’s 2-1 Serie A defeat by Como on Sunday, with subsequent tests revealing what the club described as “a mild benign arrhythmia”.

Napoli say McTominay will have corrective treatment “in the coming days” and expect him to be back in action after the international break in early October. The club are treating it as a precautionary intervention designed to resolve the issue and allow him to return to full competition.

The timing, though, hits Scotland hard.

McTominay is now likely to miss Sebastien Pocognoli’s first four matches as Scotland head coach, a crucial opening block in the Nations League. Scotland face Slovenia home and away, then North Macedonia and Switzerland, all without one of their most influential midfielders of recent years.

For Pocognoli, it means rethinking his midfield plans before he has even taken charge of a competitive game. For Scotland, it removes a proven big-game performer who has repeatedly delivered in key qualification fixtures.

According to the NHS, an arrhythmia is an irregular heartbeat – when the heart beats too fast, too slowly, or with an uneven rhythm.

In McTominay’s case, Napoli have stressed the condition is mild and benign, with the expectation that he will resume his career once the short recovery period is complete.

Napoli will now plan for life without him for the next few weeks. Scotland must do the same, over a far more defining stretch.