After McTominay, Udinese player Piotrowski also needs heart surgery

After Scott McTominay of Napoli, it was announced that Udinese and Poland international midfielder Jakub Piotrowski will also have heart surgery to correct a benign arrhythmia. With the improvement in testing and focus on spotting cardiac problems early, Serie A clubs are increasingly able to identify potential issues in their players. Udinese and Napoli medics spot problems FORT LAUDERDALE, FLORIDA – JUNE 5: Scott McTominay of Scotland warms up during a training session at Florida Blue Training Center on June 5, 2026 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. (Photo by) Scotland international McTominay was diagnosed with a mild, benign arrhythmia and Napoli medical staff recommended ablation surgery to correct it. That was performed this morning in Manchester, and he is expected to be out of action for around two months, following an initial two-week complete rest period. UDINE, ITALY – DECEMBER 08: Jakub Piotrowski of Udinese celebrates scoring a goal during the Serie A match between Udinese Calcio and Genoa CFC at Stadio Friuli on December 08, 2025 in Udine, Italy. (Photo by) Udinese also announced that midfielder Piotrowski has been given a similar diagnosis after playing in the Serie A match against Lazio on Monday evening. He too will go under the knife for a cardiac ablation procedure, and can return to playing football after the period of rest and recovery. MONZA, ITALY – AUGUST 29: Jakub Piotrowski of Udinese celebrates scoring his team's first goal during the Serie A match between AC Monza and Udinese Calcio at U-Power Stadium on August 29, 2026 in Monza, Italy. (Photo by) The club statement confirms that the benign arrhythmia was spotted during the Serie A game, as players now have wearable tech that allows medical staff to track their cardiac function throughout matches.