If you want proof of just how damaging an injury crisis can be to a team’s ambitions, look no further than Manchester United and Newcastle United. This time 12 months ago, the respective sides of Erik ten Hag and Eddie Howe were battling it out for a top-four spot, having already faced off at Wembley in the EFL Cup final. Flash forward to April 2024, and Manchester United are nine points adrift of the Champions League places. For Newcastle, the gap between themselves and fourth-placed Aston Villa stands at a staggering 16. Man United have been without Luke Shaw, Lisandro Martinez, Casemiro, Ra…