Now is right to change Man Utd's system - Ruben Amorim declares.

Head coach Ruben Amorim argues that altering Manchester United's formation due to public pressure would have been "his demise" for him.

For the first time against Newcastle United, Amorim moved away from his trademark back three formation with wide defenders and instead field an standard back four shielded by two holding midfielders.

He himself conceded this ultimately transformed into a back six in the closing stages as his team clung on for a win - securing only their second clean sheet of the campaign.

While he once notably stated that not even the highest authority could force him to change his system, Amorim insists the capacity to utilize varied setups has consistently been part of his plan.

However, he emphasizes he could only implement the change when his team were performing at an acceptable level - otherwise it would look as if he was giving in to external criticism.

"At the time I came here last season, I recognized perhaps I lacked the personnel to perform effectively in that formation, but it was the start of a journey," he commented.

"We were trying to build an philosophy. Now is a different juncture. We are missing a lot of players, and we must adapt, so they comprehend why we are making changes.

"This isn't because of the demands of you guys, or the supporters.

"Whenever media criticize changing the system all the time, I cannot make a change because the players will believe I'm altering things because of you and I feel that is a disaster for the coach.

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

"We are going to become a stronger squad because when our full complement of personnel return, we are not going to play with a back three all the time."

Squad Issues Continue

Having just two wins in their last eight outings prior to beating Newcastle, it is questionable whether Amorim is right to state his side have been in good form.

He is, nonetheless, managing with a severely stretched squad, with multiple senior stars already unavailable for the forthcoming home game against struggling Wolverhampton Wanderers.

That total will increase if playmaker Mason Mount fails to shake off the injury that forced his exit from the Newcastle game at the interval.

Skipper Bruno Fernandes is a key name who will be absent for the Wolves match, even though he is understood to be pressing his manager to allow him to make a comeback following his hamstring injury.

"Bruno is already saying he needs to practice," said Amorim. "But there is absolutely no possibility he is going to play against Wolves. No way. You can quote me on that."

Fernandes' Influence Remains

However, the 31-year-old will almost certainly still be a prominent presence, as while most unavailable players watch matches from the stands, Fernandes was seen keeping a close eye on the pre-match routines from the entrance of the tunnel before the Newcastle game.

Amorim expects his leader to carry on providing input.

"The guy is a leader," he declared. "He cannot be the type of player that when he is not playing, he's silent and offering advice. He's constantly speaking. That is the reason he's the skipper.

"There are bad things sometimes - his mannerisms he moves his arms - but he has a lot of strengths. After he finishes treatment, he heads to watch the other guys training. There are a many things you don't see.

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

Recovery Timeline for Key Players

Although the specific timeline for the captain's comeback - and that of fellow unavailable players like Kobbie Mainoo, Matthijs de Ligt, and Harry Maguire - remains unclear, before the conclusion of January, United will see the return of Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo from continental duty.