Thibaut Courtois has said he does not believe Chelsea's lack of European football has given them an advantage in the Premier League title race.
The Blues are nine points clear of second-placed Tottenham Hotspur, with the absence of Champions League or Europa League football meaning they have played just 29 matches this season.
Antonio Conte's men have won 16 of their last 18 Premier League games to surge clear at the top and Conte has said having more time on the training pitch has helped his players make a successful transition to a 3-4-3 system since September.
But Belgium international Courtois said: "The other year, when we were champions, we had European football so I don't think it makes a big difference. The players don't want to relax.
"Everybody wants to play in Europe and if you're in the rhythm of playing a game every three or four days sometimes you can play better, even though it's harder at the end of the season."
Conte has used only 20 players this season -- the lowest number of any Premier League manager this season -- frequently sticking with the same starting XI since Chelsea's shift to a 3-4-3.
Courtois said a European campaign would have helped those on the fringes at Stamford Bridge, adding: "We have a lot of people on the bench who want to play and maybe haven't had as many minutes as they deserve.
"If we had European football they would have played more minutes."