Now is right to change Manchester United's formation - Ruben Amorim declares.

Head coach Ruben Amorim argues that switching Manchester United's formation due to public noise would have been "the end" for him.

For the first time against Newcastle, Amorim abandoned his trademark three-at-the-back setup with wing-backs and chose to use an traditional back four with two central midfielders.

Amorim acknowledged this ultimately functioned as a back six in the latter phase as his squad held on for a win - securing just their second clean sheet of the season.

Although he once famously said that even the Pope could compel him to adjust his approach, Amorim asserts the option to utilize alternative formations has always been part of his long-term vision.

However, he stresses he could solely make the switch when his team were performing well enough - otherwise it would seem as if he was bowing to outside noise.

"When I arrived here the previous campaign, I recognized perhaps I don't have the personnel to excel in that system, but it was the start of a project," he commented.

"The goal was to establish an philosophy. Today is a distinct moment. We lack a full complement of players, and we must adjust, so they understand the reason we are switching things up.

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

"Whenever the press criticize altering the formation all the time, I cannot change because the players will believe I'm altering things because of you and I believe that is a disaster for the manager.

"Only when we are performing strongly in our system, that becomes the opportunity to evolve.

"We will grow into a more complete squad because when all the personnel return, we are not planning to play with a back three exclusively."

Squad Issues Persist

With only two wins in their last eight outings prior to defeating Newcastle, it is questionable whether Amorim is correct to state his team have been in good form.

He is, though, operating with a severely stretched squad, with seven senior players already unavailable for the forthcoming fixture against winless Wolves.

That total will grow if midfielder Mason Mount fails to shake off the injury that forced his exit from the Newcastle game at half-time.

Captain Bruno Fernandes is a key name who will miss the Wolves clash, even though he is reportedly pushing his manager to allow him to make a comeback after his hamstring injury.

"Bruno is already telling me he needs to train," revealed Amorim. "However there is absolutely no possibility he is going to feature against Wolves. No chance. You can write that."

Fernandes' Role Endures

However, the Portuguese star will likely continue to be a prominent presence, as whereas most unavailable players watch matches from a private box, Fernandes was seen monitoring the pre-match routines from the mouth of the tunnel before the Newcastle game.

Amorim anticipates his leader to carry on offering input.

"He is a leader," he declared. "He cannot be that guy that when he is not playing, he's silent and speaking. He's constantly vocal. That is the reason he's the captain.

"There are negative aspects at times - his mannerisms he moves his arms - but he has a multitude of strengths. After he finishes treatment, he heads to observe the rest of the squad training. There are a many aspects that go unnoticed.

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

Return Timeline for Injured Personnel

While the exact date for the captain's return - and that of other unavailable players like Kobbie Mainoo, Matthijs de Ligt, and Harry Maguire - is unknown, by the end of January, the club will see the return of Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo from international competition.