Time is right to alter Man Utd's system - Ruben Amorim states.

Boss Ruben Amorim says that changing Man Utd's formation due to external pressure would have been "the finish" for him.

In a first against Newcastle, Amorim ditched his usual back three setup with wing-backs and instead use an orthodox back four with two holding midfielders.

Amorim acknowledged this effectively transformed into a six-man defensive block in the closing phase as his side dug in for a victory - securing just their second shutout of the campaign.

Despite he once famously stated that not even the Pope could pressure him to tweak his approach, Amorim insists the capacity to experiment with different formations has consistently been part of his long-term vision.

However, he stresses he could only implement the change when his team were faring sufficiently well - or else it would look as if he was bowing to outside noise.

"At the time I came here last season, I recognized perhaps I lacked the squad to excel in a back three, but it was the commencement of a process," he commented.

"We were trying to build an style. Today is a separate moment. We don't have a full complement of players, and we have to be flexible, so they understand the reason we are changing.

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

"When the press talk about changing the system constantly, I can't make a change because the squad will believe I'm changing because of you and I think that is a disaster for the coach.

"When we are getting results in our system, then is the right time to change.

"We will grow into a more complete team because when all the players are available, we are not going to use three defenders all the time."

Availability Issues Persist

With only two victories in their last eight outings before defeating Newcastle, it is debatable whether Amorim is accurate to say his team have been in good form.

He is, though, operating with a injury-ravaged roster, with multiple first-team players already ruled out for the forthcoming fixture against struggling Wolves.

That number will grow if midfielder Mason Mount is unable to recover the injury that forced his withdrawal from the Newcastle game at half-time.

Captain Bruno Fernandes is a key name who will be absent for the Wolves match, even though he is reportedly urging his boss to let him to make a comeback after his muscle injury.

"Fernandes is already saying he needs to practice," said Amorim. "But there is no chance he is going to play against Wolves. Definitely not. You can write that."

The Captain's Influence Remains

However, the 31-year-old will almost certainly continue to be deeply engaged, as while most injured stars view matches from a private box, Fernandes was observed monitoring the pre-match routines from the mouth of the player's tunnel before the Newcastle game.

Amorim expects his captain to carry on offering guidance.

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

"There are flaws sometimes - the way he gesticulates - but he has a lot of positive qualities. After he recovers, he heads to observe the other guys training. There are a lot of things that go unnoticed.

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

Return Schedule for Key Players

Although the exact date for Fernandes' comeback - and that of fellow unavailable players like Kobbie Mainoo, Matthijs de Ligt, and Harry Maguire - remains unclear, before the conclusion of January, the club will see the return of Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo from international duty.