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

Head coach Ruben Amorim says that switching Manchester United's tactical system due to public pressure would have signaled "the end" for him.

In a first against Newcastle United, Amorim abandoned his trademark back three setup with wing-backs and instead deploy an standard four-man defense shielded by two holding midfielders.

By his own admission this ultimately transformed into a back six in the final phase as his side clung on for a victory - securing just their second-ever clean sheet of the campaign.

Although he once famously stated that not even the Pope could pressure him to change his system, Amorim insists the option to experiment with alternative formations has consistently been part of his plan.

However, he emphasizes he could solely implement the change when his team were performing sufficiently well - or else it would appear as if he was bowing to outside noise.

"At the time I arrived here last season, I understood perhaps I didn't possess the squad to play well in a back three, but it was the start of a process," he commented.

"We were trying to establish an identity. Today is a different moment. We don't have a lot of players, and we have to adapt, so they see why we are making changes.

"This isn't because of the pressure of you guys, or the fans.

"When the press talk about altering the system constantly, I cannot make a change because the players will believe I'm altering things because of external voices and I think that is the end for the coach.

"Only when we are performing strongly in our system, that is the right time to evolve.

"We will develop into a more complete team because when all the players are available, we are not intending to employ three defenders in every match."

Injury Crisis Loom Large

With only two wins in eight games before defeating Newcastle, it is debatable whether Amorim is accurate to say his team have been playing well.

He is, nonetheless, working with a injury-ravaged squad, with seven first-team players already ruled out for the upcoming home game against struggling Wolverhampton Wanderers.

That figure will increase if midfielder Mason Mount is unable to recover the injury that led to his exit from the Newcastle game at half-time.

Captain Bruno Fernandes is a key name who will be absent for the Wolves match, even though he is understood to be pushing his manager to let him to make a comeback after his muscle injury.

"Fernandes is already saying he needs to train," said Amorim. "However there is no chance he is going to feature against Wolves. No chance. That's definitive."

Fernandes' Role Is Unwavering

Nevertheless, the 31-year-old will likely continue to be a prominent presence, as while most injured stars watch matches from the stands, 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 is sure his captain to continue providing guidance.

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

"There are flaws at times - his mannerisms he moves his arms - but he has a lot of strengths. After he recovers, he heads to observe the rest of the squad training. There are a lot of aspects that go unnoticed.

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

Recovery Timeline for Key Players

Although the precise date for the captain's return - and that of other injured stars like Kobbie Mainoo, Matthijs de Ligt, and Harry Maguire - remains unknown, by the end of January, United will welcome back Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo from international competition.