McTominay resumes Napoli training after 'complete success' heart procedure

McTominay back in Napoli fold after ablation surgery

Scotland midfielder Scott McTominay has returned to training with the rest of the Napoli squad after undergoing a heart procedure that the club described as a "complete success".

The 29-year-old's ablation — a minimally invasive operation to correct irregular heart rhythms — took place in Manchester last month. A mild benign arrhythmia was discovered after he was substituted 56 minutes into Napoli's 2-1 Serie A defeat by Como in August, prompting the corrective treatment.

In a statement, Napoli confirmed: "On Wednesday, Scott McTominay underwent further diagnostic tests, which showed that he is fit to play. The Napoli player therefore resumed training with the rest of the team after the period spent training separately."

According to the NHS, an arrhythmia is when the heart beats too quickly or too slowly, or the heartbeat is not steady. The British Heart Foundation explains that a cardiac arrhythmia ablation involves using heat or cold energy to create tiny scars in the heart to block faulty signals and restore a typical heartbeat.

Scotland absence and road back

During his absence, McTominay missed four Scotland fixtures, including Tuesday's Nations League defeat by Slovenia. The Scots' next games are against Switzerland and North Macedonia in November. The midfielder has scored 15 goals in 73 Scotland appearances.

McTominay's recovery has been tracked closely by both club and country. Napoli issued a medical update on 10 September following the procedure, and on 28 September new Scotland head coach Sebastien Pocognoli underlined the player's importance, describing the Napoli star as "a top player who can play in many positions" as he continued his rehabilitation.