For the very first time in the Ruben Amorim era, Bruno Fernandes will be absent from the Manchester United matchday squad for the visit of Newcastle United on Monday evening.

The United captain was sent-off for the third time this season in the 2-0 defeat to Wolves at Molineux on Boxing Day for earning two yellow cards. He was given his marching orders just two minutes after half-time for a needless foul on fellow countryman Nelson Semedo.

For all of Amorim's tinkering and rotating since he replaced Erik ten Hag at the start of November, Fernandes has been an ever-present figure, starting each of the former Sporting Lisbon chief's first ten games in charge. No other player in the squad has been afforded that honour.

READ MORE: One signing, two debuts and do a Mourinho - how Manchester United can save their season

READ MORE: I had big bust up with Sir Alex Ferguson and told him to f*** himself - I was gone the next day

Despite scoring the goal that inspired the derby day comeback against Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium and claiming two assists in the 4-0 rout of Everton, Fernandes' form has been up and down since Amorim arrived, just as it has all season.

As brilliant a player as he is when he is on song, United are unlikely to miss him as much as they have done on previous occasions when he has been unavailable. Nevertheless, his absence opens up a window of opportunity.

Fernandes, under Amorim, has either played as one of the two No.10s or as one of the two No.8s. He started in one of the No.10 positions at Wolves, assisting Rasmus Hojlund and Amad in attack.

The 30-year-old's absence against Newcastle is likely to see a like-for-like change made in the front-three. However, Amorim is not exactly blessed when it comes to settling on a replacement.

Marcus Rashford has been left out of each of the last four matchday squads, meaning a recall against Eddie Howe's team is highly unlikely, and Mason Mount is once again unavailable through injury. That leaves only Alejandro Garnacho and Amad as the likely candidates to support Hojlund, who is expected to lead the attack for the second game running.

However, Amad should be reassigned to the right-wing back berth after a hat-trick of Premier League starts from the right-sided No.10 position. He is more productive from wing-back and he gives United more balance from that position.

That means Garnacho is likely to start in one of the two No.10 positions, earning his first start since being omitted from the matchday squad against City a fortnight ago. But with Fernandes suspended, Mount injured and Rashford out of the equation, who could complete the attack?

The answer: Joshua Zirkzee. The Netherlands international has struggled to live up to the billing since arriving at Old Trafford from Bologna in the summer, scoring just four goals in 26 appearances. He was signed to offer competition and support for Hojlund, but he is simply not the goalscorer United needed.

The 23-year-old, who is continuing to be linked with an exit from Old Trafford ahead of the January transfer window swinging into life on Wednesday, is, by his own admission, a player who is a '9.5', operating between midfield and attack.

For all of Zirkzee's struggles in front of goal, he has demonstrated on several occasions that his greatest strength is to drop into pockets of space, collect the ball and attempt to spot the runs of any teammates. He is clever at finding space, and that could be a key component to his game if deployed as a No.10.

The prospect of him dropping deeper to receive the ball could free up space for the likes of Hojlund and Garnacho, plus the wing-backs, who are crucial in Amorim's 3-4-3 formation.

Despite playing as a No.9 in the 0-0 draw with Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park in September, that remains Zirkzee's best performance in a United shirt, as he regularly dropped deep to collect the ball and attempt to find Garnacho, who regularly made galloping runs to breach the Palace defence.

Of course, that was under Ten Hag and in a different formation, but evidence of Zirkzee's ability to drop deep and link play cannot be ignored.

Furthermore, the prospect of Zirkzee starting as a No.10 would allow him and Hojlund to start together for the very first time. They have only shared 85 minutes on the pitch together since Zirkzee's arrival in July.

There is a growing belief that Zirkzee will not be part of Amorim's long-term plans at United, but with options currently limited, testing the water by unleashing him as a No.10 is worth a go at the very least.