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

Manager Ruben Amorim says that switching Manchester United's formation due to media noise would have signaled "the end" for him.

For the first time against Newcastle United, Amorim ditched his customary back three formation with wide defenders and opted to field an standard four-man defense with two central midfielders.

He himself conceded this at times became a six-man defensive block in the latter minutes as his side clung on for a win - securing just their second-ever shutout of the campaign.

Although he once notably remarked that even the Pope could force him to tweak his approach, Amorim asserts the ability to experiment with varied setups has consistently been part of his plan.

Nevertheless, he stresses he could only alter the tactics when his team were doing sufficiently well - lest it would look as if he was bowing to external noise.

"At the time I came here last season, I understood maybe I didn't possess the squad to play well in a back three, but it was the commencement of a process," he said.

"The goal was to forge an style. Today is a separate juncture. We lack a full complement of players, and we need be flexible, so they understand the reason we are making changes.

"It is not because of the influence of journalists, or the fans.

"When you criticize altering the system constantly, I can't change because the squad will believe I'm altering things because of you and I feel that is a disaster for the coach.

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

"This will help us grow into a stronger side because when all the personnel are back, we are not intending to play with three defenders all the time."

Squad Issues Loom Large

Having just two wins in their last eight outings prior to beating Newcastle, it is questionable whether Amorim is accurate to say his side have been playing well.

He is, nonetheless, managing with a injury-ravaged roster, with multiple first-team stars already ruled out for the upcoming fixture against struggling Wolves.

That number will increase if playmaker Mason Mount fails to recover the injury that forced his withdrawal from the Newcastle game at half-time.

Captain Bruno Fernandes is one of those who will miss the Wolves match, even though he is reportedly pressing his manager to allow him to make a comeback after his muscle problem.

"Bruno is already saying he has to train," said Amorim. "But there is absolutely no possibility he is going to feature against Wolves. Definitely not. You can write that."

Fernandes' Role Remains

Nevertheless, the 31-year-old will probably continue to be heavily involved, as whereas most injured stars watch matches from a private box, Fernandes was seen monitoring the warm-ups from the mouth of the player's tunnel before the Newcastle game.

Amorim expects his captain to continue offering guidance.

"The guy is a leader," he affirmed. "He must not be the type of player that when he is absent, he's silent and offering advice. He's always vocal. That is the reason he's the captain.

"He has negative aspects sometimes - his mannerisms he gesticulates - but he has a multitude of positive qualities. After he finishes treatment, he goes to watch the other guys practicing. There are a many things that go unnoticed.

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

Recovery Schedule for Injured Players

While the specific timeline for the captain's return - and that of other unavailable players like Kobbie Mainoo, Matthijs de Ligt, and Harry Maguire - is unknown, by the end of January, the club will welcome back Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo from international duty.