Scott McTominay to Undergo Minor Heart Surgery and Miss Scotland Matches

Scott McTominay will not feature for Scotland as the new era under Sebastien Pocognoli gets underway. The Napoli midfielder is scheduled for minor surgery to address a benign arrhythmia, and the Italian club has confirmed he will be out of action for a few weeks, taking him out of the international picture for the time being.

• McTominay is set for surgery on a mild heart rhythm issue and will miss Scotland duty.
• Napoli have described the condition as benign and low-risk to his overall health.
• He misses four Nations League matches and the Champions League opener against Arsenal.
• Billy Gilmour, his club and country teammate, is already back after his own injury layoff.

What Heart Issue Has Been Detected in McTominay

Napoli's medical report points to a benign cardiac arrhythmia that, despite not being serious, requires a corrective procedure to stabilise the heart's rhythm. The operation is considered low-risk and falls within standard treatment protocols for this type of irregularity.

The condition has been described as minor and posing no significant threat to the player's general health. Even so, the medical staff opted to act immediately, and the current estimate puts the Scot's return at around three to four weeks, provided his post-operative recovery goes as planned.

Matches McTominay Will Miss for Scotland and Napoli

The setback comes at a pivotal moment for the Scottish national team. September opens an extended international window with four Nations League fixtures: a double-header against Slovenia plus games against Switzerland and North Macedonia. They will be the first outings for new head coach Sebastien Pocognoli, who will have to plan without one of his regular midfield starters.

At club level, McTominay will also sit out Napoli's Champions League opener, a match against a side he knows well from his Premier League days at Manchester United: Arsenal. It was one of the most anticipated games in Antonio Conte's early schedule, and the Italian coach will need to reshuffle his midfield without the Scot.

How McTominay's Serie A Season Had Started

McTominay had started both of Napoli's opening Serie A matches. In the most recent league fixture, a 2-1 home defeat to Como, he was withdrawn after 56 minutes. At the time no cardiac issue was mentioned, but the club confirmed days later that the substitution was not purely a tactical call.

The 29-year-old has earned 73 caps for Scotland and was part of the squad that travelled to the last World Cup under Steve Clarke. His consistent presence in national team call-ups and his influence in the Napoli dressing room make his absence significant for both Conte and Pocognoli.

Billy Gilmour Emerges as the Natural Replacement

While McTominay begins his recovery, Billy Gilmour is back available after overcoming the physical issues that kept him out of the World Cup. The midfielder, who shares a dressing room with McTominay at both Napoli and Scotland, has been building up minutes in recent weeks and looks like the natural stand-in for both teams.

Gilmour's return is timely for Pocognoli, who finds in the former Brighton and Chelsea man a suitable profile to anchor the midfield during McTominay's absence. At Napoli, Conte also has alternatives such as Anguissa and Lobotka to cover the gap without dipping into the transfer market.

When Could McTominay Return to Action

The projected absence of several weeks would place his comeback around late September or early October, provided the operation goes smoothly and the player receives medical clearance on schedule. Napoli have not set a specific date, but the club's messaging points to a short, controlled layoff.

His return would coincide with the busiest stretch of the Italian calendar, which packs Serie A rounds and European fixtures back to back. The priority for both the player and the coaching staff is a full recovery with no risk of setbacks, given the cardiac nature of the procedure.