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

Head coach Ruben Amorim contends that switching Manchester United's formation due to external scrutiny would have meant "the end" for him.

For the first time against Newcastle United, Amorim ditched his trademark three-at-the-back formation with wide defenders and instead field an orthodox four-man defense shielded by two central midfielders.

He himself conceded this ultimately became a six-man defensive block in the latter minutes as his squad dug in for a victory - securing only their second clean sheet of the campaign.

Despite he once notably remarked that even the highest authority could compel him to tweak his system, Amorim maintains the ability to play with alternative formations has always been part of his strategy.

Yet, he emphasizes he could solely make the switch when his team were doing sufficiently well - otherwise it would appear as if he was giving in to outside pressure.

"When I arrived here last season, I recognized perhaps I didn't possess the personnel to perform effectively in a back three, but it was the commencement of a project," he stated.

"The goal was to establish an style. Today is a separate time. We lack a full complement of players, and we need adjust, so they understand the reason we are changing.

"The change isn't because of the demands of you guys, or the faithful.

"Whenever media talk about altering the formation constantly, I cannot change because the players will understand I'm altering things because of you and I believe that is the end for the manager.

"When we are getting results in our preferred setup, then is the opportunity to evolve.

"We are going to grow into a better squad because when our full complement of personnel are available, we are not intending to use a back three in every match."

Availability Issues Loom Large

With only two victories in eight games before beating Newcastle, it is questionable whether Amorim is right to state his team have been in good form.

He is, nonetheless, managing with a injury-ravaged roster, with seven first-team stars already ruled out for the upcoming home game against winless Wolverhampton Wanderers.

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

Skipper Bruno Fernandes is among those who will miss the Wolves match, even though he is reportedly pressing his manager to let him to make a comeback after his muscle injury.

"Bruno is already insisting he needs to practice," said Amorim. "But there is absolutely no possibility he is going to feature against Wolves. Definitely not. You can write that."

Fernandes' Role Endures

Nevertheless, the Portuguese star will almost certainly still be a prominent presence, as while most injured stars view matches from a private box, Fernandes was spotted keeping a close eye on the warm-ups from the mouth of the player's tunnel before the Newcastle game.

Amorim is sure his leader to carry on offering guidance.

"The guy is a leader," he stated. "He cannot be the type of player that when he is absent, he's not talking and speaking. He's constantly communicating. That is the reason he's the skipper.

"There are bad things sometimes - his mannerisms he gesticulates - but he has a lot of positive qualities. After he recovers, he heads to watch the other guys practicing. There are a lot of things that go unnoticed.

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

Return Timeline for Injured Players

While the specific timeline for the captain's comeback - and that of fellow injured stars like Kobbie Mainoo, Matthijs de Ligt, and Harry Maguire - is unclear, before the conclusion of January, United will see the return of Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo from international duty.