Now is ripe to switch Man Utd's system - Ruben Amorim states.

Manager Ruben Amorim says that altering Man Utd's formation due to external noise would have been "his demise" for him.

For the first time against Newcastle, Amorim moved away from his customary three-at-the-back setup with wide defenders and opted to field an standard four-man defense with two central midfielders.

He himself conceded this effectively transformed into a six-man defensive block in the latter stages as his team dug in for a win - securing just their second shutout of the campaign.

Although he once memorably said that even the highest authority could pressure him to tweak his approach, Amorim insists the ability to utilize varied formations has always been part of his long-term vision.

Nevertheless, he stresses he could solely implement the change when his team were performing sufficiently well - or else it would appear as if he was giving in to external criticism.

"At the time I arrived here last season, I realized perhaps I didn't possess the personnel to perform effectively in that system, but it was the commencement of a project," he said.

"Our aim was to forge an style. Now is a different time. We are missing a full complement of personnel, and we need adapt, so they see the reason we are changing.

"The change isn't because of the influence of journalists, or the fans.

"When the press talk about altering the formation repeatedly, I cannot make a change because the squad will believe I'm altering things because of external voices and I believe that is a disaster for the coach.

"Only when we are playing well in our preferred setup, that is the moment to adapt.

"We will grow into a better side because when all the players are available, we are not going to play with three defenders all the time."

Squad Challenges Loom Large

With only two wins in eight games before beating Newcastle, it is debatable whether Amorim is correct to claim his side have been playing well.

He is, nonetheless, working with a injury-ravaged roster, with seven first-team stars already ruled out for the upcoming fixture against struggling Wolves.

That number will increase if midfielder Mason Mount is unable to shake off the knock that led to his withdrawal from the Newcastle game at the interval.

Captain Bruno Fernandes is among those who will miss the Wolves clash, even though he is understood to be pressing his manager to let him to return following his muscle problem.

"Fernandes is already saying he needs to train," revealed Amorim. "But there is absolutely no possibility he is going to feature against Wolves. Definitely not. You can quote me on that."

The Captain's Influence Is Unwavering

However, the Portuguese star will probably continue to be a prominent presence, as while most unavailable stars watch matches from a private box, Fernandes was spotted monitoring the warm-ups from the mouth of the tunnel before the Newcastle game.

Amorim is sure his leader to continue providing 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 offering advice. He's always vocal. That is the reason he's the skipper.

"There are negative aspects at times - the way he gesticulates - but he has a lot of positive qualities. Even after he recovers, he heads to watch the other guys practicing. There are a many aspects that go unnoticed.

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

Recovery Schedule for Key Players

Although the specific timeline for the captain's comeback - and that of fellow injured stars like Kobbie Mainoo, Matthijs de Ligt, and Harry Maguire - is unknown, by the end of January, the club will welcome back Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo from international competition.