The moment is ripe to switch Man Utd's formation - Ruben Amorim declares.

Manager Ruben Amorim contends that switching Man Utd's formation due to external pressure would have been "his demise" for him.

Initially against Newcastle United, Amorim abandoned his customary three-at-the-back formation with wing-backs and instead use an traditional four-man defense with two defensive midfielders.

He himself conceded this ultimately became a six-man defensive block in the final minutes as his side clung on for a crucial result - securing just their second-ever shutout of the campaign.

Despite he once famously said that not even the highest authority could compel him to tweak his system, Amorim maintains the capacity to experiment with varied setups has always been part of his strategy.

Yet, he stresses he could solely alter the tactics when his team were performing well enough - lest it would seem as if he was succumbing to outside noise.

"When I came here last season, I recognized maybe I didn't possess the players to perform effectively in that system, but it was the start of a project," he commented.

"We were trying to forge an identity. Now is a different juncture. We don't have a full complement of personnel, and we need adjust, so they comprehend why we are switching things up.

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

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

"Once we are getting results in our preferred setup, then is the right time to evolve.

"This will help us become a more complete team because when our full complement of players are available, we are not going to employ a back three in every match."

Squad Issues Continue

Having just two wins in their last eight outings before defeating Newcastle, it is arguable whether Amorim is accurate to state his team have been in good form.

He is, however, working with a injury-ravaged squad, with multiple senior stars already unavailable for the upcoming home game against struggling Wolves.

That total will increase if midfielder Mason Mount fails to recover the injury that forced his withdrawal from the Newcastle game at half-time.

Skipper Bruno Fernandes is a key name who will miss the Wolves match, even though he is reportedly urging his boss to let him to return following his hamstring injury.

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

The Captain's Leadership Is Unwavering

However, the Portuguese star will probably still be heavily involved, as while most unavailable players view matches from a private box, Fernandes was observed keeping a close eye on the pre-match routines from the mouth of the player's tunnel before the Newcastle game.

Amorim anticipates his leader to carry on providing insight.

"He is a natural leader," he affirmed. "He cannot be the type of player that when he is not playing, he's silent and speaking. He's always vocal. That is the reason he's the skipper.

"He has negative aspects sometimes - the way he moves his arms - but he has a multitude of positive qualities. Even after he finishes treatment, he goes to observe the other guys training. There are a lot of things that go unnoticed.

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

Recovery Timeline for Key Personnel

Although the exact date for Fernandes' return - and that of fellow injured 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.