Mumbai City FC defender Akash Mishra eyes a promising return to the pitch after missing out on the game for more than a year.

The full-back joined MCFC in 2023 and played a crucial role in the Islanders’ road to the Indian Super League (ISL) Cup final that season. Despite Petr Kratky’s men eventually winning the Cup during the 2023-24 campaign, the defender missed the final against Mohun Bagan Super Giant.

Mishra sustained an Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) injury during the ISL 2023-24 playoffs against FC Goa and underwent surgery in May 2024. Since then, Mishra has been out of action and also missed the entire 2024-25 season.

It’s very tough for a footballer to be on the sidelines for a longer time, and it was the same for Mishra. He had to endure numerous hardships during that rehabilitation phase but was motivated enough to keep pushing himself and believing in his abilities.

The defender is now on the brink of returning to action as he is progressing well to regain his fitness level. Once dominating the flanks with his burst of pace and forays into the opposition box, Mishra’s absence was truly felt as MCFC couldn't replicate the same standards what they had shown in the past couple of seasons with many new players in the team.

Mishra recalled his strenuous efforts and strong mentality during his road to recover.

“It was not easy." he stated to news18.com.

He felt emotional while speaking about his tireless effort, immense patience, and resilience during the prolonged healing time.

“The pain of surgery is not as difficult as the journey. You have to do the same thing again and again and again.. When you are done after the surgery, after one month, all you have to do is just some little exercise on the bed. You can’t move anywhere. You can’t do things on your own. To lie down on a bed for one month and do nothing—actually, it’s more difficult mentally," he added.

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Mishra acknowledged the Mumbai City FC medical team for their relentless efforts post-surgery. He also thanked the physio team for staying back with him during the off-season and helping him in his recovery process.

“I got injured in the (ISL playoff) semi-final. We played the second leg, and then we played the final. I was with them then, even after the season was finished. The physio team was with me in Mumbai. I was there doing my rehab because you need some kind of strength before the surgery,” he shared.

“I came home for a month. I operated in Bombay, and the team physio was there all the time with me. It was off-season; everybody wanted to go home. But the physio team cancelled their holidays, and they were there with me in Bombay during my rehab. So yeah, I think without them it would have been more difficult," he said,” he revealed.

Mumbai City FC experienced a mixed campaign that was filled with struggles and setbacks, and few promising performances. Despite finishing sixth and qualifying for the playoffs, the Islanders lacked consistency and struggled to score goals during the season.

Speaking in context, Mishra remarked, “I know why fans are frustrated. When we started the season, there were so many new players coming in. I think we took time to adjust. How they say in football, sometimes it’s unfair.”

“I’ve seen all the players throughout the season, every match day -2 and match day -1; they were trying, they were pushing, and they were motivating each other. But it’s just that sometimes in football, you don’t get the result that you want," he continued.

Mishra has his eyes on hitting his stride when he will take on the field ahead of the 2025-26 season.

“For me, as an individual (the goal) is to come back and start the pre-season from day one fully fit,” he opined.

“And we as a team, of course, just want to keep the last season in the past and start afresh. Even before leaving, we had team meetings. Everybody knows what we expect from the next season,” Mishra concluded.