Now is ripe to change Manchester United's formation - Amorim declares.

Boss Ruben Amorim says that altering Man Utd's formation due to media noise would have meant "his demise" for him.

For the first time against Newcastle, Amorim moved away from his customary three-at-the-back formation with wing-backs and chose to use an traditional back four shielded by two defensive midfielders.

By his own admission this effectively transformed into a six-man defensive block in the latter stages as his side dug in for a victory - securing only their second-ever clean sheet of the season.

Despite he once famously stated that not even the Pope could compel him to tweak his approach, Amorim asserts the capacity to experiment with varied setups has remained part of his plan.

However, he clarifies he could only alter the tactics when his team were performing sufficiently well - lest it would look as if he was giving in to external criticism.

"At the time I arrived here the previous campaign, I understood maybe I lacked the players to excel in a back three, but it was the commencement of a project," he said.

"Our aim was to forge an identity. Now is a different time. We lack a full complement of personnel, and we need be flexible, so they see why we are making changes.

"The change isn't because of the pressure of you guys, or the faithful.

"When you criticize altering the system constantly, I cannot change because the squad will think I'm altering things because of external voices and I think that is a disaster for the coach.

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

"This will help us become a more complete team because when our full complement of players return, we are not planning to employ a back three all the time."

Injury Issues Persist

With only two wins in their last eight outings prior to beating Newcastle, it is debatable whether Amorim is correct to claim his team have been playing well.

He is, however, working with a depleted squad, with seven senior stars already ruled out for the upcoming fixture against struggling Wolves.

That figure will rise if midfielder Mason Mount is unable to shake off the knock that led to his exit from the Newcastle game at the interval.

Skipper Bruno Fernandes is one of those who will be absent for the Wolves clash, even though he is understood to be pushing his manager to allow him to make a comeback after his hamstring injury.

"Fernandes is already saying he needs to practice," revealed Amorim. "But there is absolutely no possibility he is going to feature against Wolves. No chance. You can write that."

The Captain's Role Is Unwavering

However, the 31-year-old will likely continue to be heavily involved, as while most injured stars watch matches from a private box, Fernandes was seen monitoring the warm-ups from the entrance of the tunnel before the Newcastle game.

Amorim anticipates his captain to carry on offering insight.

"He is a leader," he declared. "He cannot be that guy that when he is absent, he's not talking and speaking. He's constantly speaking. That is the reason he's the captain.

"He has flaws sometimes - his mannerisms he moves his arms - but he has a multitude of strengths. After he finishes treatment, he goes to observe the other guys training. There are a many things that go unnoticed.

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

Return Timeline for Injured Personnel

While the specific date for the captain's return - and that of other unavailable players like Kobbie Mainoo, Matthijs de Ligt, and Harry Maguire - remains uncertain, before the conclusion of January, United will see the return of Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo from international duty.