The moment is right to alter Manchester United's formation - the manager declares.

Manager Ruben Amorim says that changing Manchester United's tactical system due to media pressure would have signaled "his demise" for him.

Initially against Newcastle United, Amorim ditched his usual three-at-the-back formation with wing-backs and opted to field an traditional four-man defense shielded by two holding midfielders.

By his own admission this ultimately functioned as a six-man defensive block in the latter phase as his side clung on for a win - securing only their second clean sheet of the campaign.

Despite he once famously said that even the highest authority could pressure him to adjust his system, Amorim asserts the ability to experiment with different setups has consistently been part of his plan.

Yet, he stresses he could only implement the change when his team were doing well enough - otherwise it would seem as if he was succumbing to external pressure.

"When I came here last season, I understood perhaps I don't have the squad to play well in that formation, but it was the beginning of a project," he stated.

"Our aim was to build an identity. Currently is a different juncture. We lack a lot of personnel, and we have to adjust, so they see the reason we are switching things up.

"This isn't because of the demands of the media, or the fans.

"When the press criticize altering the formation all the time, I cannot make a change because the squad will think I'm changing because of you and I feel that is the downfall for the coach.

"Once we are getting results in our preferred setup, that becomes the moment to evolve.

"We will become a better squad because when all the personnel return, we are not intending to use a back three in every match."

Squad Crisis Loom Large

With only two victories in their last eight outings before beating Newcastle, it is questionable whether Amorim is accurate to claim his side have been in good form.

He is, however, working with a severely stretched squad, with multiple first-team players already unavailable for the upcoming fixture against struggling Wolverhampton Wanderers.

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

Skipper Bruno Fernandes is a key name who will miss the Wolves clash, even though he is reportedly urging his manager to let him to make a comeback following his hamstring problem.

"Bruno is already telling me he has to train," revealed Amorim. "But there is absolutely no possibility he is going to feature against Wolves. No chance. You can quote me on that."

The Captain's Role Endures

Nevertheless, the 31-year-old will almost certainly continue to be a prominent presence, as while most injured players view matches from the stands, Fernandes was observed keeping a close eye on the warm-ups from the entrance of the player's tunnel before the Newcastle game.

Amorim anticipates his captain to continue providing input.

"The guy is a leader," he affirmed. "He cannot be that guy that when he is absent, he's not talking and speaking. He's always vocal. That's why he's the captain.

"He has negative aspects sometimes - his mannerisms he gesticulates - but he has a multitude of strengths. Even after he finishes treatment, he heads to observe the rest of the squad training. There are a lot of things that go unnoticed.

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

Return Schedule for Key Players

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