McTominay nears fitness clearance, Allegri hopes for a return against Frosinone

The countdown to Scott McTominay's return has reached its final stretch. The Scottish midfielder, out since August 30 after a cardiac ablation that corrected a benign arrhythmia, will undergo medical exams on Wednesday, October 7, to regain his fitness-to-play clearance, after a one-day delay from the original schedule.

Nearly four weeks have passed since the September 8 operation. McTominay went through the first phase of his recovery in England before returning to Castel Volturno, where for about twenty days he has followed a personalized program of gym work, gradually increasing loads and early sessions on the pitch, still kept apart from the rest of the squad. What remains, according to both Tuttosport and Corriere dello Sport, is now purely a formality: the athletic side of his recovery is said to already be well advanced.

If the exams come back positive, a window opens for Massimiliano Allegri as early as this weekend. Napoli host Frosinone at the Maradona on Saturday, October 10, in round six of Serie A, in a calendar that runs non-stop between league and Champions League commitments until the mid-November international break, and having an extra midfielder available would be welcome, especially after Olivera's injury.

For those who own him in fantacalcio, the news calls for a cautious read rather than immediate excitement. McTominay, our price 27 in the 21-30 tier, had closed his last appearance before the forced stop with a negative movement; a return, even just off the bench, would start eating into the minutes of those who have covered Napoli's midfield in his absence, from De Bruyne to Politano and Anguissa, but it is unlikely to come with an immediate starting role. Coming back from heart surgery, even one for an arrhythmia all sources describe as benign, is a different path from a standard muscle recovery, and Napoli's medical staff will have every reason to manage his minutes carefully in his first outings back.

It remains to be seen whether the clearance will arrive in time for Allegri to include him in the squad list for Frosinone, or whether the coach will prefer to give him a few more days of training with the group before bringing him back into play. Anyone managing a roster with McTominay in it would do well to wait for the midweek updates before settling their lineup doubts: between a substitute appearance and another missed matchday, the point swing can be significant.

It's worth remembering that the stoppage did not stem from a muscle problem or an on-field injury, but from a planned procedure to correct an arrhythmia all sources describe as benign, a detail that changes little in this week's fantacalcio planning but explains why Napoli are moving so carefully before bringing him back into the group. The decisive updates are expected in the coming hours, and only then will it become clear whether the Scot will factor into lineup decisions already this round, or whether the wait will continue.