Scott McTominay to undergo heart procedure for arrhythmia, will miss all of September

He walked off the field on Sunday, and he won't be back on it for more than a month. Scott McTominay is headed for surgery after being diagnosed with a heart arrhythmia, and Napoli confirmed the Scot will miss the rest of September entirely.

The Italian club made it official on Tuesday: the midfielder will undergo "a PFA (pulsed field ablation) procedure" after being diagnosed, in Napoli's own words, with "a mild, benign arrhythmia." PFA is a minimally invasive technique increasingly used to treat this kind of heart rhythm issue, and it doesn't require as long a recovery as other similar procedures.

When had something seemed off? Sunday's match itself offered some clues. McTominay had to come off in the second half of Napoli's 2-1 loss to Como, a substitution that at the time looked more like tactical caution than anything else, but which turned out to be the first visible sign of what has now been confirmed.

The news is a direct blow to Antonio Conte's planning, because this isn't just any player. The Scot was named Serie A MVP last season, when Napoli won the title in 2025 with him as one of the team's most decisive figures. McTominay also came into this summer having played at the World Cup with the Scotland national team, so his name carries real weight both at the club and back home.

Back after the first international break

Napoli was clear about the timeline: the midfielder will be out until after the season's first FIFA international break, which in practical terms means he won't be seen in the blue shirt again until October. In other words, he's missing all of September, no small stretch of the calendar between Serie A and European competition.

For a team fighting on multiple fronts, going without one of its most influential players for weeks means minutes have to be spread among other midfield options. Conte will have to juggle his lineup while McTominay completes his recovery from the procedure, with an eye toward reuniting with the group once the October break has passed.