McTominay reassures Napoli: "See you soon, it won't take long."

"See you soon, Napoli. I won't be long." This is the message Scott McTominay posted on his Instagram profile after Napoli released a statement regarding his physical condition.

The Scottish midfielder, who has quickly become a key figure for the team and the Azzurri fans, will undergo corrective surgery using PFA ablation in the next few days after developing a mild benign arrhythmia.

The note from Napoli

The Azzurri announced the news through their official channels: "Following the onset of a mild benign arrhythmia, Scott McTominay will undergo corrective surgery using a cardiac arrhythmia ablation (PFA) in the coming days. The player will be available again after the international break."

Napoli will therefore temporarily lose their midfielder, but the club's schedule already indicates a return after the break. According to reports published in the hours following the announcement, McTominay is expected to miss the immediate fixtures and return to the squad list when the league resumes in October.

The message to the fans

The Scotsman's post garnered thousands of messages of encouragement in just a few hours. Napoli fans, teammates, and players from other clubs showed their support for the player, who chose short but reassuring words to describe the moment.

The tone of the message reveals confidence and determination: McTominay aims to quickly overcome this phase and return to the team's disposal as soon as he receives the green light from the medical staff.

What is PFA ablation?

PFA, an acronym for Pulsed Field Ablation, is a catheter ablation technique used to treat certain heart rhythm disorders. The procedure targets the areas responsible for the arrhythmia with controlled electrical pulses, with the goal of restoring a regular rhythm.

In sports, managing an arrhythmia requires individual assessments and a return-to-work plan established by cardiologists and sports physicians. A recent consensus recommendation on arrhythmias in athletes suggests avoiding intense exercise for at least two weeks after an ablation procedure, then gradually resuming activity based on clinical evaluations.

In McTominay's case, however, the only official deadline is the one set by Napoli: availability after the international break. His actual return will depend on the outcome of his surgery, follow-up tests, and the progress of his athletic training.

Precedents in football

This isn't the first time a professional soccer player has faced an arrhythmia that could be treated with ablation. Among the closest cases, in terms of the type of surgery and recovery time, is that of Stephan Lichtsteiner: in 2015, the then Juventus full-back underwent surgery for an arrhythmia and returned to the field about a month later. Abel Hernández also underwent ablation for an arrhythmia, sidelining him for about a month.

However, not all cardiac issues in football can be considered the same. Antonio Cassano, for example, faced a different type of problem, while Christian Eriksen and Fabrice Muamba suffered much more serious cardiac emergencies that were not comparable to the situation Napoli described for McTominay. Muamba was forced to retire after suffering a cardiac arrest in 2012; Eriksen, however, was able to return to professional football after receiving a cardiac defibrillator.

For McTominay, the key word for now remains caution: Napoli has defined the arrhythmia as mild and benign, has scheduled the surgery, and has already indicated the window for a possible return to the team.