Scott McTominay to Miss Scotland Duty After Heart Procedure

Scott McTominay will sit out Scotland’s next Nations League campaign and a key stretch of Napoli’s season as he undergoes corrective surgery for a minor heart issue.

Napoli confirmed on Tuesday that the midfielder, who has quickly become a central figure in their side after leaving Manchester United, has been diagnosed with what the club described as “a mild benign arrhythmia” – an irregular heart rhythm considered non-serious and not a significant threat to his overall health.

The Italian club explained that McTominay will undergo a cardiac arrhythmia ablation in the coming days, a procedure designed to correct the rhythm problem.

“Following the onset of a mild benign arrhythmia, Scott McTominay will undergo corrective surgery using a cardiac arrhythmia ablation in the coming days,” read a short statement from Napoli. “He will be available again after the international break.”

The timing is a major blow for both club and country. McTominay will miss Napoli’s fixtures in September, including next week’s Champions League clash with Arsenal, a marquee tie that had been circled since the draw.

For Scotland, it means new head coach Sebastien Pocognoli must begin his tenure without one of his most influential players. McTominay will be absent for Pocognoli’s first four matches in charge: a double-header against Slovenia, followed by meetings with Switzerland and North Macedonia in the Nations League.

Napoli, though, expect only a short absence. The club’s insistence on the benign nature of the condition and their clear timeline for his return point to a carefully managed interruption rather than a long-term concern.

For McTominay, it becomes a brief but significant pause in momentum at both club and international level, with his comeback now pencilled in for the period immediately after the international break.