Time is ripe to alter Man Utd's formation - the manager declares.

Head coach Ruben Amorim contends that changing Manchester United's formation due to public noise would have been "his demise" for him.

Initially against Newcastle, Amorim abandoned his trademark three-at-the-back setup with wing-backs and opted to use an orthodox back four shielded by two central midfielders.

By his own admission this effectively transformed into a back six in the closing minutes as his team held on for a crucial result - securing just their second shutout of the season.

Despite he once notably said that even the highest authority could force him to change his system, Amorim asserts the capacity to play with alternative setups has remained part of his plan.

Yet, he emphasizes he could only make the switch when his team were performing well enough - or else it would look as if he was succumbing to external noise.

"At the time I came here the previous campaign, I realized maybe I lacked the personnel to excel in a back three, but it was the commencement of a project," he said.

"The goal was to establish an identity. Currently is a separate moment. We lack a full complement of players, and we need be flexible, so they see the reason we are making changes.

"It is not because of the pressure of you guys, or the fans.

"When you criticize changing the system constantly, I can't change because the players will understand I'm altering things because of you and I think that is a disaster for the manager.

"Only when we are performing strongly in our preferred setup, that is the opportunity to change.

"We are going to develop into a more complete squad because when our full complement of players return, we are not intending to use a back three exclusively."

Availability Crisis Persist

With just two victories in their last eight outings prior to beating Newcastle, it is debatable whether Amorim is right to say his side have been playing well.

He is, however, managing with a severely stretched squad, with multiple first-team stars already unavailable for the forthcoming home game against struggling Wolverhampton Wanderers.

That number will increase if playmaker Mason Mount is unable to recover the knock that led to his exit from the Newcastle game at the interval.

Skipper Bruno Fernandes is one of those who will miss the Wolves clash, despite the fact he is reportedly pushing his boss to let him to return following his hamstring injury.

"Fernandes is already saying he has to train," said Amorim. "However there is no chance he is going to feature against Wolves. Definitely not. You can quote me on that."

Fernandes' Leadership Is Unwavering

However, the Portuguese star will likely still be deeply engaged, as whereas most injured stars watch 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 is sure his leader to carry on offering insight.

"The guy is a leader," he affirmed. "He must not be that guy that when he is absent, he's silent and offering advice. He's always vocal. That is the reason he's the skipper.

"He has negative aspects at times - his mannerisms he moves his arms - but he has a multitude of positive qualities. Even after he finishes treatment, he goes to watch the rest of the squad training. There are a lot of 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 leader."

Recovery Schedule for Key Personnel

Although the exact timeline for Fernandes' return - and that of other injured stars like Kobbie Mainoo, Matthijs de Ligt, and Harry Maguire - remains unclear, by the end of January, the club will see the return of Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo from continental duty.