ARSENAL begin their Champions League campaign with a trip to Napoli.
But the Italian side are without their star man Scott McTominay.
Since making the move to Naples, the Scotland midfielder has become a cult hero after winning the Serie A title and Player of the Season award in the 2024/25 campaign.
They will instead be relying on Kevin De Bruyne and Rasmus Hojlund against Arsenal tonight.
Why is Scott McTominay not playing for Napoli vs Arsenal?
McTominay is not playing tonight after undergoing heart surgery.
The former Manchester United star was diagnosed with “mild benign arrhythmia”.
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Mild benign arrhythmia is described by the NHS as “when your heart beats too quickly or too slowly, or your heartbeat is not steady”.
Cardiac arrhythmia ablation treatment will fix the issue by blocking faulty signals and restoring a usual heartbeat.
The condition is not serious or life threatening.
When will Scott McTominay return to action?
Napoli confirmed this week that McTominay’s heart surgery “was a complete success” and expect the midfielder to return to training this month.
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McTominay has not played since August 30.
He is expected to return after the upcoming international break.
It is a huge blow for Scotland and new boss Sebastien Pocognoli.
McTominay will miss four Nations League games against Switzerland, North Macedonia and Slovenia twice.