Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has said that his former club Chelsea have an advantage in the Premier League title race because they are not involved in any European competition, while adding that the Champions League is "empty" without the Red Devils in the mix.
Mourinho believes that it will be an open title race, warning that United cannot destroy teams like in glory years gone by because of the competitiveness, but he thinks Chelsea will have a "special vitamin" of being fresh.
Speaking in an interview with BT Sport, Mourinho said: "If you were to say there are 20 candidates for the title, nobody will laugh. That is Leicester's legacy.
"If you are just looking at what you call the big clubs, Arsenal and Tottenham are basically stable. Us and Manchester City have a new manager and some new players and, with the calendar, not much chance to train a lot.
"Chelsea also have a new manager but without European competition. To train Monday to Saturday -- without a midweek game and European competition, injuries and fatigue -- it's a special vitamin for someone who wants to fight for the title."
Discussing the intensity of the competition in domestic English football, he commented on the fact that "in the Championship, we have a European winner," a reference to Rafael Benitez being at Newcastle United.
Mourinho will have to revitalise a side that finished fifth last season under his predecessor Louis van Gaal and the Portuguese said that United will be a different beast under his management.
Mourinho said: "When we [Mourinho and Van Gaal] played each other, Inter versus Bayern, in the Champions League final [in 2010], he said our teams are so different.
When a couple of years ago, we played Man United versus Chelsea, he repeated the same. He was completely right. We have some functional contradictions."
Due to Van Gaal's fifth-place finish, United will be playing in the Europa League next season. Mourinho added: "The Champions League is empty when Man United is not there. There are certain clubs -- also Real Madrid, Barcelona -- where the Champions League is not the Champions League if they are not there.
"It's Man United's natural habitat. We have to get back."
He admitted that he was told in the build-up to last season's FA Cup final, won by United while Van Gaal was in charge, that he could speak to the club after the final. The former Chelsea manager felt that it was a sign that a decision had already been made.
Since taking over, he has brought in four new players and admitted his team have been surprised by one of the new recruits Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Mourinho said: "The other players are surprised, not with his quality, but a bit with his commitment and motivation because he is 34 and has won so much, and they are more surprised with the person he is.
"What he looks like isn't what he is. Words he says are for fun. He goes to the kit man and says 'give a towel to God' and laughs. He's a good guy."
Mourinho added that he will be ending his Instagram posts because "now it is serious and the fun stops" until Christmas time when he will post a message with his family. He will not be stopping his players from using it in their free time.