The moment is optimal to change Manchester United's formation - the manager declares.

Manager Ruben Amorim contends that altering Man Utd's tactical system due to external scrutiny would have signaled "his demise" for him.

For the first time against Newcastle United, Amorim moved away from his trademark back three formation with wing-backs and instead use an traditional back four with two holding midfielders.

By his own admission this at times functioned as a back six in the latter minutes as his team clung on for a victory - securing only their second-ever shutout of the season.

Despite he once memorably said that even the Pope could force him to change his system, Amorim asserts the ability to experiment with alternative formations has consistently been part of his strategy.

Nevertheless, he stresses he could solely make the switch when his team were doing at an acceptable level - or else it would seem as if he was succumbing to outside pressure.

"At the time I came here the previous campaign, I understood perhaps I didn't possess the players to play well in that system, but it was the beginning of a process," he commented.

"The goal was to establish an style. Now is a separate moment. We are missing a full complement of players, and we need be flexible, so they understand the reason we are making changes.

"This isn't because of the pressure of the media, or the fans.

"When media discuss changing the formation repeatedly, I cannot change because the players will think I'm altering things because of you and I feel that is the end for the manager.

"Only when we are playing well in our preferred setup, then is the opportunity to change.

"We are going to develop into a more complete side because when our full complement of personnel return, we are not planning to play with a back three in every match."

Injury Challenges Persist

Having only two wins in their last eight outings before defeating Newcastle, it is debatable whether Amorim is right to claim his team have been in good form.

He is, however, working with a severely stretched squad, with seven first-team stars already unavailable for the forthcoming home game against struggling Wolves.

That number will increase if midfielder Mason Mount is unable to shake off the injury that led to his withdrawal from the Newcastle game at half-time.

Skipper Bruno Fernandes is a key name who will be absent for the Wolves clash, despite the fact he is understood to be pressing his manager to let him to return after his hamstring injury.

"Fernandes is already insisting he needs to practice," said Amorim. "But there is no chance he is going to feature against Wolves. No way. You can write that."

The Captain's Leadership Endures

However, the 31-year-old will likely continue to be deeply engaged, as while most unavailable players view matches from a private box, Fernandes was spotted monitoring the pre-match routines from the mouth of the player's tunnel before the Newcastle game.

Amorim anticipates his captain to continue offering insight.

"He is a leader," he declared. "He must not be that guy that when he is absent, he's silent and offering advice. He's always communicating. That's why he's the captain.

"He has negative aspects sometimes - his mannerisms he gesticulates - but he has a lot of positive qualities. After he recovers, he goes to observe the other guys practicing. There are a many aspects you don't see.

"I'm not sure if he wants my position or not, but he's a born leader. He is a true captain."

Return Timeline for Key Players

While the exact date for the captain's return - and that of fellow unavailable stars like Kobbie Mainoo, Matthijs de Ligt, and Harry Maguire - is unclear, before the conclusion of January, the club will welcome back Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo from international duty.