The moment is right to alter Man Utd's system - the manager declares.

Head coach Ruben Amorim argues that changing Manchester United's formation due to external scrutiny would have meant "his demise" for him.

In a first against Newcastle, Amorim moved away from his usual back three formation with wide defenders and chose to field an orthodox four-man defense with two central midfielders.

By his own admission this at times became a back six in the final minutes as his side clung on for a victory - securing only their second-ever clean sheet of the season.

Although he once memorably stated that even the Pope could force him to adjust his system, Amorim maintains the ability to experiment with alternative setups has remained part of his long-term vision.

Yet, he stresses he could solely implement the change when his team were doing well enough - lest it would appear as if he was bowing to external pressure.

"When I came here the previous campaign, I recognized maybe I lacked the players to excel in a back three, but it was the commencement of a process," he commented.

"Our aim was to build an identity. Now is a distinct time. We lack a lot of players, and we need adjust, so they see why we are making changes.

"It is not because of the pressure of journalists, or the faithful.

"When the press criticize altering the formation all the time, I cannot make a change because the squad will understand I'm changing because of you and I believe that is the downfall for the manager.

"Only when we are playing well in our preferred setup, that is the right time to change.

"We are going to grow into a stronger squad because when our full complement of personnel are back, we are not planning to use a back three all the time."

Injury Crisis Persist

Having only two wins in eight games before beating Newcastle, it is debatable whether Amorim is right to state his side have been playing well.

He is, nonetheless, operating with a injury-ravaged roster, with seven first-team stars already unavailable for the forthcoming fixture against struggling Wolves.

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

Captain Bruno Fernandes is among those who will be absent for the Wolves clash, despite the fact he is understood to be pushing his boss to allow him to make a comeback following his hamstring injury.

"Bruno is already insisting 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."

Fernandes' Influence Endures

However, the 31-year-old will probably continue to 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 tunnel before the Newcastle game.

Amorim anticipates his captain to carry on providing insight.

"He is a leader," he affirmed. "He cannot be that guy that when he is absent, he's not talking and speaking. He's always communicating. That is the reason he's the skipper.

"There are flaws sometimes - the way he gesticulates - but he has a multitude of positive qualities. Even after he finishes treatment, he heads to watch the other guys training. There are a many things that go unnoticed.

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

Recovery Schedule for Injured Personnel

Although the exact timeline for the captain's return - and that of other injured players like Kobbie Mainoo, Matthijs de Ligt, and Harry Maguire - is unclear, by the end of January, the club will welcome back Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo from international duty.