Mesut Ozil has turned 32 and Arsenal captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang had a special message for the attacking midfielder.
The former Germany international, who has not featured in any matchday squad for the Gunners so far this season, remains a popular figure amongst his teammates and around the club.
On transfer deadline day he had a friendly exchange with Matteo Guendouzi after the latter sealed a season-long loan move to Bundesliga outfit Hertha Berlin.
Furthermore, Ozil offered to reimburse Arsenal with the full salary of Gunnersaurus after the club's COVID-19 cuts have claimed another victim in the shape of Jerry Quy who has dressed up as the dinosaur mascot since its inception in 1993.
The gesture has garnered a mixed response from fans and the media alike, but it should be noted that this is only a temporary measure as Arsenal have insisted the beloved mascot will return.
That could happen if and when supporters are allowed back into stadiums
It remains to be seen if Ozil will be welcomed back into the first-team fold before his contract expires at the end of the season, but if it's to be his final birthday as an Arsenal player, Aubameyang has tried to make it as special as possible.
The Gunners captain took to his Instagram stories to share a special 11-word message with the birthday boy.
"Happy birthday bro, today we celebrate Mesut Ozil with some moves," he wrote as seen in the image above.
The post was accompanied with a series of happy face emojis as well as a dancing one in a throwback to Aubameyang, Ozil and Shkodran Mustafi celebrating on the bench.
It's the first interaction between the pair - albeit on social media - since Ozil was left out of the Gunners' Europa League squad last week.
A decision that manager Mikel Arteta insists was a difficult one.
"He wasn’t the only one that is not in the squad," Arteta said in his pre-Manchester City press conference. "It was a really difficult decision for me to make because to leave players out of the squad at that level where they know that they cannot get involved is really tough.
"I don't like it at all but the decision has to be made because we have an excess on foreign players and unfortunately we have to make that decision.
"You have to try to find a way to fit every player with their own qualities.
"This is our job and responsibility with all the players you have to manage."
