Wolves haven’t had the best luck with injuries since the start of the year, and midfielder Boubacar Traore epitomises that.
Boubacar Traore was beginning to stamp his authority on the Wolves midfield last term, as he featured 24 times in the Premier League.
The Malian international was always going to find it a struggle to break into an engine room consisting of Joao Gomes, Mario Lemina and Tommy Doyle last term, with Andre since joining the ranks.
As a result, Traore was set to join Feyenoord in the summer but once he suffered a serious knee injury in the Carabao Cup win over Burnley, his chances of leaving were ended.
Traore is now sidelined till Christmas, having missed the opening months of the campaign, and Wolves fans will hope to see the best of him once he returns.
- READ MORE: Wolves top five performers so far this season revealed – fourth place will actually shock many
Boubacar Traore’s Wolves wage and how much he’s earned in 2024/25
Perhaps surprisingly, despite his role in the squad, Traore is the sixth-highest earner at Wolves.
Per Capology, he earns £55,000-a-week with only Matheus Cunha, Hwang Hee-chan, Nelson Semedo, Pablo Sarabia and Goncalo Guedes taking home more.
| Wolves highest earners | Weekly Wage |
| Goncalo Guedes | £90,000 |
| Pablo Sarabia | £90,000 |
| Nelson Semedo | £80,000 |
| Hwang Hee-chan | £70,000 |
| Matheus Cunha | £60,000 |
| Boubacar Traore | £55,000 |
The Wanderers have been shrewd with their finances in recent years, splashing less on wages and unearthing gems in the transfer window for cheap.
It will therefore hurt them to know that Traore has earned a ridiculous amount since the start of the season having only featured once.
In fact, since the start of July when pre-season kicked off, the powerful midfielder has earned £1,045,000, and £1,045,000 per appearance for the Old Gold.
More staggering is that Traore has made £23,222 per minute for Wolves this season, without playing a single minute of Premier League football.
What Gary O’Neil should do with Traore
Traore is expected to return from injury during the Christmas period, with the hope he’ll be fit to take his place in the squad by Boxing Day.
| Position | Team | Played MP | Won W | Drawn D | Lost L | For GF | Against GA | Diff GD | Points Pts |
| 17 |  IpswichIpswich | 11 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 12 | 22 | -10 | 8 |
| 18 |  Crystal PalaceCrystal Palace | 11 | 1 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 15 | -7 | 7 |
| 19 |  WolvesWolves | 11 | 1 | 3 | 7 | 16 | 27 | -11 | 6 |
| 20 |  SouthamptonSouthampton | 11 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 7 | 21 | -14 | 4 |
Once he does return to action, though, he could find it extremely difficult to break into the midfield, as the likes of Gomes, Andre and Lemina have established themselves as an important trio.
Although the Malian will add depth to the ranks and will be an important squad player, Gary O’Neil will perhaps consider loaning him out if the opportunity arises.
Traore needs to be playing regular football and that isn’t currently promised at Wolves with the quality they have in that department.
However, as seen this season, the Wanderers do have constant injury troubles and keeping him around could be wise, especially after Andre suffered an injury blow while on international duty with Brazil.