CHELSEA manager Jose Mourinho believes Liverpool have a big advantage in the Premier League title race due to their lack of European involvement.

Mourinho’s men head the table but fourth-placed Liverpool are just four points adrift.

Chelsea, second-placed Arsenal and third-placed Manchester City are all involved in Europe’s premier club competition.

Although Brendan Rodgers’ men are 8-1 with most bookmakers to win the title, the Portuguese thinks they have to be taken seriously.

Mourinho explained: ‘‘When I say we’re not the top candidate everyone thinks ’here he is again, with what you like to call the mind games’.

‘‘But it’s just my feeling.

The league is amazing but Liverpool have a big advantage because of the fact they don’t play in the Champions League.’’ England manager Roy Hodgson this week made a concerted effort to end any talk of Blues central defender John Terry coming out of international retirement.

And Mourinho does not believe the subject of Terry playing for his country should be under discussion.

He added: ‘‘It’s a waste of time to keep speaking about the situation.

‘‘Roy Hodgson is the person to kill the discussion or to feed it. End of story. I’d never intervene.’’