Scott McTominay has reassured Napoli and Scotland fans that he is "fine" after Napoli announced he would undergo heart surgery.
The Italian club released a statement on Tuesday explaining the situation. It read: "Following the onset of a mild benign arrhythmia, Scott McTominay will undergo corrective surgery using a cardiac arrhythmia ablation (PFA) in the coming days. He will be available again after the international break."
McTominay's reassurance
While the announcement about his arrhythmia - an irregular heartbeat - came as a shock to many supporters, McTominay says it is nothing serious. "I'm fine, the procedure was something I'd planned to do with the club for quite a while," he told reporters at the Gran Gala Del Calcio, the Italian equivalent of the PFA Awards, on Wednesday night.
"We'd already talked about it in pre-season. I'll be out for a few weeks."
Key player for Napoli
McTominay is a key player for Napoli, having joined the club from Manchester United for £25million in 2024. He has scored 27 goals in 82 games for Napoli and helped them win Serie A in 2024/25.
He was named Serie A player of the year for 2025 for his incredible debut campaign and will be important to their efforts to reclaim the trophy following Inter Milan's triumph last season.
Contract speculation
The 29-year-old midfielder has started both of Napoli's matches this season but is now set for a short spell on the sidelines. While he still has two years left on his contract, there has been some speculation in Italy over his future.
"There haven't been any new talks," McTominay said when asked about a possible extension. "The important thing is what happens on the pitch, not the contract extension. I don't know when it will happen, it's not the time to be thinking about that."
Season start and injury update
Napoli began the campaign with a 2-0 win over Genoa before losing 2-1 to Cesc Fabregas' Como on the weekend. Fellow former Manchester United player Rasmus Hojlund netted the consolation against Como, while ex-Manchester City star Kevin De Bruyne scored on the opening weekend.
Max Allegri is now the man in charge at Napoli and he explained after the Como defeat that McTominay was also dealing with a different kind of health issue.
"McTominay had some problems with blisters, so he's been training on a limited basis," Allegri said. "Hopefully, we can get him into the best possible condition as soon as possible."
The Scottish star will sit out of the next four Napoli games and will be a big miss. Napoli take on Inter Milan on Saturday, ahead of a Champions League clash with Premier League champions Arsenal and further league games against Bologna and Fiorentina.
