Scott McTominay Out for Champions League Opener Against Arsenal

Scott McTominay has undergone minor heart surgery and will miss 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 the procedure on Monday, September 7 in England to correct what Napoli described as “a mild benign arrhythmia” – an irregular heartbeat the club has stressed is not serious.

No McTominay for Arsenal clash

Napoli have ruled McTominay out of this week’s meeting with last season’s beaten Champions League finalists, ending any prospect of a quick return in time for Arsenal’s visit to Naples.

The midfielder had already tried to reassure supporters, writing on Instagram last week: “I won’t take long.” He struck the same confident tone at an awards ceremony in Italy, saying: “I’m fine, the procedure was something I’d planned to do with the club for quite a while.”

Napoli’s initial statement confirmed he would only be back after the upcoming international break. Sporting director Giovanni Manna has since put a clearer timescale on it, revealing a roughly four-week absence while McTominay waits for medication to take full effect.

“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 prevent clots and require a strict, carefully monitored return to full-contact sport.

Blow for Scotland, boost for Arsenal

The four-week recovery window is expected to rule McTominay out of Scotland’s entire Nations League schedule in the upcoming international break. Steve Clarke’s side face Switzerland and North Macedonia before a double-header against Slovenia, and will now have to navigate that run without one of their key midfield figures.

The Scottish national team moved quickly to back their player, issuing a message of support: “Wishing you all the best in your recovery, Scott. Hope to see you back in a Scotland shirt soon.”

For Arsenal, the news removes one of Napoli’s major physical presences from the midfield battle in their Group Stage curtain-raiser. The Gunners, though, still walk into a daunting engine room, with Kevin De Bruyne and Billy Gilmour both fit and ready to anchor the Italian champions’ push for an early statement in Europe.