The moment is optimal to switch Manchester United's formation - Ruben Amorim insists.

Boss Ruben Amorim contends that switching Manchester United's tactical system due to external pressure would have meant "his demise" for him.

In a first against Newcastle, Amorim abandoned his customary three-at-the-back setup with wing-backs and chose to field an standard four-man defense with two defensive midfielders.

By his own admission this effectively transformed into a six-man defensive block in the final stages as his team clung on for a victory - securing only their second clean sheet of the season.

While he once famously said that not even the highest authority could compel him to change his approach, Amorim maintains the capacity to experiment with different setups has consistently been part of his strategy.

Nevertheless, he stresses he could solely implement the change when his team were performing well enough - lest it would look as if he was bowing to outside pressure.

"At the time I arrived here the previous campaign, I recognized perhaps I didn't possess the squad to play well in a back three, but it was the commencement of a project," he stated.

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

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

"When you criticize changing the system constantly, I cannot change because the players will believe I'm altering things because of external voices and I believe that is the downfall for the manager.

"When we are performing strongly in our preferred setup, that is the right time to change.

"This will help us grow into a more complete team because when all the personnel are back, we are not going to use three defenders in every match."

Squad Issues Persist

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

He is, however, operating with a severely stretched squad, with seven senior players already ruled out for the forthcoming home game against struggling Wolverhampton Wanderers.

That figure will rise if playmaker Mason Mount is unable to shake off the injury that led to his withdrawal from the Newcastle game at the interval.

Captain Bruno Fernandes is a key name who will be absent for the Wolves match, despite the fact he is reportedly pushing his boss to let him to make a comeback following his hamstring injury.

"Fernandes is already insisting he has to train," revealed Amorim. "But there is absolutely no possibility he is going to feature against Wolves. No chance. That's definitive."

The Captain's Influence Endures

However, the 31-year-old will likely continue to be a prominent presence, as whereas most injured stars watch matches from the stands, Fernandes was observed monitoring the pre-match routines from the entrance of the tunnel before the Newcastle game.

Amorim anticipates his leader to continue providing insight.

"He is a leader," he declared. "He must not be that guy that when he is not playing, he's not talking and offering advice. He's constantly vocal. That is the reason he's the skipper.

"He has negative aspects sometimes - his mannerisms he gesticulates - but he has a multitude of strengths. After he recovers, he heads to observe the other guys training. There are a lot of things that go unnoticed.

"I don't know if he wants my position or not, but he's a leader. The guy is a leader."

Return Timeline for Injured Personnel

While the precise date for the captain's comeback - and that of fellow injured stars like Kobbie Mainoo, Matthijs de Ligt, and Harry Maguire - remains unknown, before the conclusion of January, United will welcome back Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo from continental duty.