Napoli celebrate McTominay's successful heart surgery after ablation

Scott McTominay Undergoes a successful heart surgery after an ablation procedure at Spire Manchester Hospital on Tuesday morning, Napoli confirmed. The operation was described as a complete success and the player will rest for two weeks before returning to training.

Diagnosis and procedure

Medical staff identified a mild benign arrhythmia – an irregular heartbeat – and chose catheter ablation to correct it. The British Heart Foundation notes that such an ablation can last as little as fifteen minutes. During the short procedure a small incision is made in the groin or wrist, catheters are guided to the heart and the problematic tissue is destroyed with radio‑frequency energy or cryo‑ablation, blocking abnormal electrical signals.

Impact on Napoli

McTominay featured in Napoli’s first two Serie A fixtures this season before being substituted in the 2‑1 loss to Como. The club had previously expected him to be unavailable until mid‑October, a timeline that would have seen him miss the Champions League opener against Arsenal on Wednesday and Scotland’s upcoming internationals.

Scotland have four matches scheduled during the newly extended international break later this month, meaning the midfielder would have been absent from the national squad if the original recovery estimate had held.

Recovery timetable

Italian reports state that after the two‑week rest McTominay should resume training, with a possible return to action on 22 September – two days after Napoli’s match in Florence. The club hopes to have him back for the league fixture on 10 October against Frosinone at the Stadio Maradona. “Il Napoli ha cerchiato una data” the club’s statement read, highlighting optimism about his availability.

Experts in cardiac sport medicine consider the outlook positive, noting that recovery techniques for athletes undergoing this type of procedure have improved markedly. Read more about his condition in club communications.