The moment is optimal to change Manchester United's tactical setup - Amorim declares.

Boss Ruben Amorim contends that altering Manchester United's formation due to media pressure would have been "his demise" for him.

In a first against Newcastle, Amorim abandoned his trademark back three formation with wing-backs and chose to field an orthodox back four shielded by two central midfielders.

By his own admission this effectively functioned as a back six in the closing minutes as his side dug in for a crucial result - securing only their second-ever clean sheet of the campaign.

Despite he once memorably said that not even the Pope could pressure him to tweak his approach, Amorim asserts the ability to utilize alternative formations has remained part of his plan.

Nevertheless, he clarifies he could solely alter the tactics when his team were doing at an acceptable level - lest it would look as if he was bowing to external pressure.

"At the time I came here last season, I understood maybe I lacked the squad to play well in a back three, but it was the commencement of a journey," he stated.

"We were trying to forge an philosophy. Currently is a distinct time. We don't have a full complement of personnel, and we must be flexible, so they understand why we are making changes.

"It is not because of the influence of the media, or the faithful.

"When you talk about changing the formation repeatedly, I cannot change because the players will think I'm altering things because of external voices and I believe that is a disaster for the manager.

"Once we are getting results in our preferred setup, that is the moment to evolve.

"This will help us become a stronger squad because when our full complement of players are available, we are not planning to use three defenders in every match."

Availability Crisis Loom Large

Having only two victories in their last eight outings prior to beating Newcastle, it is questionable whether Amorim is correct to say his side have been in good form.

He is, however, working with a injury-ravaged squad, with seven first-team stars already unavailable for the forthcoming fixture against winless Wolves.

That number will rise if playmaker Mason Mount is unable to shake off the injury that led to his exit from the Newcastle game at half-time.

Captain Bruno Fernandes is one of those who will miss the Wolves clash, despite the fact he is understood to be pushing his boss to let him to return after his hamstring problem.

"Fernandes is already saying he needs to train," said Amorim. "But there is absolutely no possibility he is going to feature against Wolves. Definitely not. That's definitive."

Fernandes' Role Is Unwavering

Nevertheless, the Portuguese star will probably still be deeply engaged, as whereas most unavailable players watch matches from the stands, Fernandes was observed monitoring the warm-ups from the mouth of the player's tunnel before the Newcastle game.

Amorim expects his leader to carry on offering insight.

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

"There are bad things sometimes - his mannerisms he moves his arms - but he has a lot of strengths. Even after he recovers, he goes to observe the rest of the squad practicing. There are a many things that go unnoticed.

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

Recovery Timeline for Key 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 - remains unclear, by the end of January, United will welcome back Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo from international competition.